Boil Water Order Issued for City of Brighton Due to E. Coli Contamination

DRINKING WATER WARNING

Tests Show Coliform and E. coli Bacteria in the Water for 

City of Brighton 

PWSID CO0101025

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
Hiervan el Agua Antes de Usarla

Total coliform and E. coli bacteria were found in the water supply during testing on July 1 and July 2. These bacteria can make you sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

What does this mean? What should I do?
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three (3) 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 short-term effects, such as 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 from your health care provider. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What happened? What is being done?
Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.

The City of Brighton will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has put together some resources that might be helpful for health care facilities:
http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/crypto/health_professionals/bwa/index.htmlClick on the guidance for health care facilities. 

The second one is a toolkit, more designed for planning than an event, but the scenarios are helpful. Click on the "emergency water supply planning guide...."
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinkingwateradvisory.html

For more information, please contact The City of Brighton. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.