Pleasant Grove City issues boil order advisory due to E. Coli
Sep 6, 2020, 8:12 AM | Updated: 9:31 am
PLEASANT GROVE — A boil order advisory is in effect for the residents and businesses around 300 North and 300 East after routine tests came back positive for E. Coli.
The tests were performed in and within several blocks of the specified area.
Pleasant Grove City said in a statement that per state requirement they are required to take 40 samples through their culinary water system per month with 20 tests taken in each area.
They said they take 10 samples per week and during their routine testing, some samples came back testing positive for E. Coli.
One out of the 10 samples taken from the Monson area on Sept. 2 came back positive. Upon returning to the area on Sept. 3 as per state standard, an additional 3 samples came back positive.
Test results from the samples were given to the city on Sept. 5 as it takes two days to complete the tests.
City residents are being notified of the boil order advisory directly by Pleasant Grove City.
The source has not yet been found, but the city is investigating the source, flushing the system in the area of concern and are conducting additional testing.
What do residents and businesses need to do?
Pleasant Grove City has issued the following information on how to proceed with the boil order advisory:
- DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
- 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.
Actions that the City is taking
Pleasant Grove City said they are taking the following actions:
1. We are chlorinating and flushing the water system, specifically in this area. Additional testing will be
performed today to determine whether this has cleared up the concern.
2. We have looked for possible cross-connection issues on this street and have not found any illegal
secondary water cross-connections. We are continuing to do this in the immediate area.
3. We are increasing sampling for coliform bacteria in all the surrounding area to determine the source of
the contamination.
4. We completed a Drinking Water Level 1 assessment of the system.
