max.bowen@northstarreporter.com
Following additional testing which shows that the town’s four wells were negative for enterococci, the boil water advisory which was put into effect on Monday has been lifted.
According to an announcement made on Tuesday, earlier that afternoon, the Department of Public Works received notification that additional raw water samples collected from the town’s wells tested negative for enterococci. The state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has confirmed that the water is safe to consume.
“Following yesterday’s discovery of enterococci in routine raw water samples, the Department of Public Works issued a temporary boil water advisory at the direction of the DEP,” a statement read. “To guarantee accuracy, additional raw water samples were collected yesterday and sent to a different lab for testing. It is believed that the initial raw water samples tested positive for enterococci due to a lab error, and they never contained enterococci.”
“We would like to assure our community that our raw water samples have been thoroughly tested and that our water is safe for consumption,” Town Manager Michael Borg said. “We would like to thank our residents for their cooperation and patience during our ongoing boil water advisory, and our town officials and the DEP for working diligently to resolve this issue.”
In the wake of the boil water advisory being rescinded, the Department of Public Works would like to offer the following tips:
- Run faucets until the water feels cold, one minute or more, before drinking, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation. Those who have a single-lever faucet, set it to run the cold water first. This will flush out any lead or copper that may have leached in from the home’s piping.
- To clear hot-water pipes and water heaters of untreated water, change all faucets to hot water and flush for at least: 15 minutes for a typical household 40-gallon hot-water tank or 30 minutes for an 80-gallon hot water tank or larger
- Run the dishwasher empty once after flushing hot water pipes and water heaters.
- Discard any water used in humidifiers, Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines, oral, medical or health care devices. Rinse the device with clean water.
- Discard baby formula and other foods prepared with water on the day or days of the boil order. (If unsure of the dates, contact your water department.)
- Flush water dispensers on fridges with at least one quarter of water. If unsure of the dispenser’s capacity, refer to manufacturer specifications.
- Empty automatic ice dispensers of ice made during the boil order and run through a 24-hour cycle.
- Please note that the Department of Public Works may flush hydrants. Flushing both hydrants and home water lines may cause some customers to experience a lack of water pressure and/or discolored water. This is an expected result and does not pose an immediate health risk.
- Residents with questions can contact the North Attleborough Department of Public Works at 508-695-7790.
