News Flash

The Town received notice this afternoon of the presence of E. Coli bacteria within drinking water samples collected yesterday, January 12^th.  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations require the Town to issue a ‘boil water order’ effective immediately.

E. coli bacteria can make you ill, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems. Do not drink tap water without boiling it for at least 1 minute first or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth and washing dishes until further notice.

 The Department has removed water sources that tested positive for E. Coli from operation and has increased water disinfection treatments.  Follow-up and confirmatory water quality samples will be taken immediately.  The results of this testing and system analysis will determine the cause of the positive results.  The Department hopes to resolve this inconvenience within the next few days.

E. coli are bacteria that may 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.