BCAT News

Burlington is under an emergency Boil Water Order starting immediately due to the presence of a bacteria that can lead to illness. 

Department of Public Works Director John Sanchez said that water that went regular testing on Wednesday came back positive on Thursday for E. coli. He said three out of 11 samples taken tested positive for the bacteria. Due to this, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection has issued the boil water order for the town. 

Further complicating things, Sanchez said both of Burlington’s water sources, the regular supply and the new MWRA connection both tested positive. 

“Now it is very unusual that you will have so many hits in the system especially because we have two sources, the MWRA and the town water and the hits happened in both,” he said. “It’s strange that we had hits in both sources of water.”

Another thing confusing experts is that normally the treatment for E. coli is chlorine and both supplies showed normal levels of the disinfecting substance.  

Sanchez said they will test the water again and continue to do so until all tests come back negative. In the meantime he says everyone should follow the directions below to stay safe. 

Boiling

Bring the water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute. Laboratory data show this is adequate to make the water safe for drinking. You may cool the  water before using it.

Disinfectants

Disinfectant tablets obtained from a  wilderness store or pharmacy may be used. In an  emergency, liquid chlorine bleach such as Clorox or Purex can be used at a dose of 8 drops (or 1 teaspoon) of bleach to each gallon of water. (Careful measurement with a clean dropper or other accurate  measuring device is required when using liquid  chlorine bleach.) Let stand for at least 30 minutes  before use. Read the label to see that the bleach has 5- 6% available chlorine.

Washing Dishes 

It is best to use disposable tableware during the time the  water needs disinfection. If that is not possible, the following steps should be taken: 

1. Wash dishes normally but be sure to rinse them in a  solution of 1 teaspoon of bleach, as mentioned above,  in a gallon of warm water (submersion in a dishpan for a minimum of 5 minutes is advised). The dishes  should be allowed to air dry. Gloves should be worn  when handling bleach to minimize any skin irritation.
2. Because of the many variables involved with dishes washed in a dishwasher, it is recommended that you use the additional rinse step, as described above, after  washing.

Bathing 

Young children should be given sponge baths rather than put in a bathtub where they might ingest the tap water. Adults or children should take care not to swallow  water when showering.

Brushing your Teeth 

Only disinfected or boiled water  should be used for brushing your teeth.

Ice

Ice cubes are not safe unless made with disinfected or  boiled water. The freezing process does not kill the bacteria or other microorganisms.

Washing Fruit and Vegetables

Use only disinfected or boiled water to wash fruits or vegetables that are to be  eaten raw.

Hand Washing

Only boiled or disinfected water should  be used for hand washing. 

Cooking 

Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute before adding food.

Infants 

For infants use only prepared canned baby  formula that is not condensed and does not require added water. Do not use powdered formulas prepared with  contaminated water.

House Pets

The same precautions that are taken to protect humans should be applied to pets. Aquatic organisms (e.g. fish) should not be exposed to water containing elevated  levels of bacteria. If the organism’s water needs to be refreshed, use appropriately boiled or bottled water.

Houseplants and Garden

Water can be used without  treatment for watering household plants and garden plants. The exception would be things like strawberries or tomatoes where the water would contact the edible fruit.