(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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Perry water employee decertified for falsifying reports, DNR says [1]
['Jared Strong', 'More From Author', '- June']
Date: 2023-06
A former water treatment operator for Perry Water Works in central Iowa, accused of falsifying data for tests he didn’t conduct, was recently decertified by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
The falsifications did not result in unsafe drinking water for residents of the town of about 7,900, said Janet Gastineau, a senior environmental specialist for the DNR who investigated the situation.
Thomas Van Horn had worked for the water utility since February 2022, Gastineau said. In April, a co-worker noticed a vial that should have been used to conduct a test for manganese was dry. That co-worker then checked the equipment used for manganese analysis and noted in the test history that Van Horn had not conducted one during his shift.
Van Horn was a full-time employee who was only required to test the water during his Sunday shifts, Gastineau said. He resigned after the discovery of the falsifications.
Perry Water Works did not immediately respond to a request to confirm Van Horn’s employment dates and whether he resigned under the threat of termination.
He is among three water treatment operators who lost their jobs and were decertified by the DNR this year for falsifying data. The others were in Dubuque and Marshalltown.
Documenting honest test results is a strict requirement of the DNR’s certifications for water treatment operators.
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