Fall City residents are being told to boil their water before drinking it after testing turned up E. coli in the local supply, a contamination that has already forced two schools to shut off their drinking fountains. The notice covers homes and businesses in downtown Fall City and along several nearby roads, leaving families to rely on bottled or boiled water for everything from cooking to brushing their teeth.
According to The Seattle Times, Fall City Elementary School and Chief Kanim Middle School were both affected by the boil water notice, and both schools shut off their drinking fountains as a precaution. The school district is providing bottled water to students, though the school alert noted that bottled water supplies are limited. Families in affected areas have been advised to use boiled or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth and food preparation until the notice is lifted, and schools have encouraged families to send students in with water from a safe source. Despite the disruption, both schools are open and operating on regular schedules, and school food services are adjusting operations to make sure meals can still be served safely.
The trouble began when routine water testing flagged coliform bacteria, and a follow-up sample came back showing both coliform and E. coli, according to livingsnoqualmie.com. E. coli was detected on October 29, and the Washington State Department of Health issued the boil water notice that same day, per the Valley Record. The Fall City Water District followed up by sending customers a drinking water warning the next day, October 30, after confirming the E. coli finding.
Where the Notice Applies
The water district issued the urgent notice for Fall City's downtown core as well as Fall City Redmond Road, Fall City Preston Road and David Powell Road, per the seed reporting. The same report notes those who use well water are not affected by the order. Customers in the covered area are advised to bring water to a rolling boil for one full minute and let it cool before using it for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth.
What Caused the Contamination
Reservoir maintenance is listed as the suspected cause of the contamination, though that has not been established as a confirmed cause, the outlet's report states. The water district has disinfected the reservoir and main lines and is now flushing the system while collecting additional samples to track the bacteria's spread. Attempts to reach the Fall City Water District by phone for further explanation of what went wrong were not immediately successful, according to the Seattle Times report.
When Could the Order Lift?
The boil water notice will stay in effect until satisfactory samples are obtained and the Washington State Department of Health signs off on lifting it, the same account notes. The district anticipates resolving the issue by Thursday and says it will notify customers once boiling is no longer necessary. Until that happens, residents in the affected area are being urged to keep treating their tap water as unsafe to drink straight from the faucet.
