Gov. John Hickenlooper on Tuesday drank a hearty gulp of the Animas River in an effort to highlight that the river has returned to pre-contamination conditions. The governor and his health department director, however, cautioned that residents should not be freely drinking from the river, because the water was unsafe for consumption even before the Environmental Protection Agency released an estimated 3 million gallons of mining wastewater into it.

But the drinking exercise indicated that state officials are more than confident that the river does not pose a toxic risk to humans, as they publicly stated on Tuesday.

“Am I willing to go out there and demonstrate that we’re back to normal?” Hickenlooper asked out loud after The Durango Herald raised the idea with the governor. “Certainly. I’m happy to do that. I’m dead serious.”

Moments later Hickenlooper was presented with an iodine tablet, offered to him at the request of Dr. Larry Wolk, director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, who was traveling with the governor in Durango. The iodine tablet was used to kill possible presence of giardia and E. coli. After waiting for 30 minutes for the iodine tablet take effect, the governor walked from the Herald offices to Iris Park, the governor – in dress boots – to the banks of the Animas.

With bottle in hand, Hickenlooper slowly began to drink. After his sips, he raised the bottle in victory. Twenty-four hours later, the governor called the Herald to say he was in good health.

“If that shows that Durango is open for business, I’m happy to help,” Hickenlooper said.

I’ll have mine…with a twist.