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4:25 PM November 29, 2009
EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY
BOIL WATER NOTICE ENDED: WATER DELIVERED TO ALL TAPS HAS TESTED SAFE TO DRINK
Residents and businesses west of the Willamette River may now drink tap water without boiling it first. This includes customers of the Portland Water Bureau, Palantine Hill, Valley View and Burlington water districts. Additional testing of drinking water has shown no further presence of bacterial contamination. The Portland Water Bureau recommends all residents and businesses flush all taps for 2 minutes or until the water runs cold before consuming for the first time.
November 29, 2008 12:30 pm
The Boil Water Notice is still in effect for Portland Water Bureau customers west of the Willamette River and customers of Burlington, Palatine Hill and Valley View water districts. Customers should continue to boil all water for one minute before consuming.
The Portland Water Bureau will have an update at 4 PM today, November 29, 2009 when results from the most recent sampling results are known.
November 28, 2009 5 pm The Portland Water Bureau issued a ‘Boil Water Notice’ to its customers west of the Willamette River on Saturday, November 28, 2009. Customers of Valley View, Burlington and Palatine Hill Water Districts also received the notice. All tap water within the defined area used for drinking, food preparation, and ice should be boiled at a full rolling boil for at least one minute. Ice or any beverages prepared with un-boiled tap water should be discarded.
The Boil Water Notice has been issued in response to the detection of E. Coli in Reservoir 3 in Washington Park. The Portland Water Bureau took the reservoir out of service Saturday morning and is in the process of draining it.
Although the specific strain of E. coli is not known, generally the worst strains that are associated by the public with serious illness are not those found in water supplies.
“If there are health effects from drinking water contamination, we expect them to be diarrhea and belly ache,” said Dr. Paul Lewis, Deputy Health Officer for Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. “Although we are hopeful that the contaminated water will not affect peoples’ health, diarrhea can be a bigger problem for young children and people who have weakened immune systems. It is also important to note that the E. coli bacteria that is detected on the monitoring test may not be the same as the more notorious E. coli O157:H7, a cause of serious bacterial diarrhea.” Dr. Lewis and his staff are working with area medical practitioners regarding symptoms and appropriate treatments.
The affected area includes much of the City of Portland west of the Willamette River and customers who receive water bills from the Palatine Hill Water District, Valley View Water District and Burlington Water District. A map of the affected area is attached. The Boil Water Notice is in effect immediately and will continue until further sampling indicates the absence of E. Coli or other contaminants.
To view the Boil Water Notice and for more information, go to www.portlandonline.com/water, or contact the Portland Water Bureau at 503-823-7770.
Background Routine water samples collected on Wednesday November 25, 2009 from Reservoir 3 in Washington Park indicated the presence of E. coli. A confirmation sample collected on Friday November 27, 2009 also tested positive for E. coli. E. coli are a large and diverse group of bacteria known as coliforms. Most strains are harmless but bacteria are used as an indicator of contamination. The first sample which tested positive was taken on Wednesday, November 25, is being analyzed to determine whether or not it is a strain that may be harmful to humans. Results of the test will not be available until next week.
Follow-up samples at locations upstream and downstream of Reservoir 3 were negative for bacteria. In addition, further samples are being collected throughout the distribution system downstream of Reservoir 3.
The US Environmental Protection Agency has set an enforceable drinking water standard for total coliforms to reduce the risk of adverse health effects. Under this standard, all drinking water shall be free of these bacteria. Chris Wanner, Operations Director for the bureau said, “Although these bacteria are generally not harmful, their presence in drinking water could indicate harmful organisms might have entered the distribution system, so we are taking every precaution to protect our customers.”
The Water Bureau is conducting further sampling throughout the affected to isolate the source of contamination. Customers in the affected area should follow boil water precautions until the bureau announces that the water supply has returned to a safe condition. The next set of sampling results will be available in the afternoon of Sunday, November 29th.
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