Community Environment Health & Wellness

Boil water notice issued for for 1,900 homes

Washington Water is warning people in about 1,900 homes that use its Peacock Hill water system to boil their water (or use bottled water) before drinking it or using it for cooking.

The utility found E.coli bacteria in a water sample collected Wednesday, Sept. 4, it announced Thursday evening. Washington Water said in an update Friday that it expects additional tests results to be available over the weekend. It promised to notify customers with any additional information and when it cancels the advisory.

This Washington Water map shows areas affected by the boil water advisory.

Washington Water found coliform and E.coli bacteria in a sample collected from a storage tank in its water system. It took the storage tank offline and performed further tests Thursday and Friday.

Washington Water said in a statement that it plans to add chlorine to other storage tanks in the system after collecting follow-up samples.

The E.coli bacteria “indicates that the water may be affected by human or animal wastes,” Washington Water said. The bacteria can cause symptoms like diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches. Young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable.

The Washington Water notice recommends:

• Bring all tap water to a rolling boil for one minute. Let it cool before using.
• Use boiled water (or bottled water) for drinking, preparing food, making ice, brushing teeth and washing dishes by hand.
• Tap water is safe for showering, bathing, and for other household uses, including washing dishes in the dishwasher as long as the heat/sanitizing cycle and commercial dishwashing detergent are used.