Colorado town's water may be tainted with THC, officials warn

Officials have told residents of a small Colorado community not to drink or shower in tap water because one of the town's wells may have been contaminated with THC, marijuana's intoxicating chemical.

No illnesses have been linked to the water in Hugo, a town of about 730 people some 160kilometressoutheast of Denver, said Lincoln County Public Health director Susan Kelly.

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THC was detected in tests conducted with field kits, although other field tests were negative, sheriff's Capt. Michael Yowell said.

More definitive laboratory tests were underway, he said.

The field tests weren't capable of showing how much THC was in the water, but only whether the chemical was there, he said.

Investigators found signs that one of Hugo's five wells had been tampered with, but they hadn't determined whether someone deliberately tainted the water, Yowell said.