Boil Drinking Water Order

Yesterday our town issued a “boil order notice” because the town drinking water supply tested positive for contamination with fecal coliform or E. coli bacteria. According to town officials:

Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

It is also important to note that Escherichia Coli (e-coli) is a specific species (subgroup) within the coliform family. They originate only in the intestines of animals and humans. Like fecal coliform they have a relatively short life span compared to more general coliform. Their presence indicates a strong likelihood that human or animal wastes are entering the water system. Immediate “public notice” is required due to higher perceived risk of disease organism also being presence in the water.

Based on the test results everyone in town is advised to follow these steps until notified otherwise:

DO NOT DRINK THEWATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for 2 minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Pre-boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing vegetables, food preparation, washing dishes, making infant formula, and making ice until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

I’m really not that worried about this issue other than our children. These types of contaminations happen occasionally and the likelihood of getting infected if you follow the boil order is pretty small. What is interesting is watching how people react and seeing how quick bottled water flies off the shelves at stores!

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