MELBOURNE, Fla. — The City of Melbourne lifted its boil water notice, which was issued on April 11th following the completion of the bacteriological survey that detected E. coli bacteria.
The City of Melbourne updated the public after a bacteriological survey showed that the water was safe to drink.
As expected by the City of Melbourne Public Works & Utilities Administration, the issue was resolved within 48 hours. The updated notice advises that all water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes is now safe.
While the city believed the detection of E. coli may have been a sampling mistake, it did not take any chances. It continued to monitor the situation closely and provided tips to citizens on how to stay safe.
E. coli bacteria can make consumers sick, which is especially concerning for people with weakened immune systems or underlying health concerns.
Melbourne released a statement to community members to provide additional safety measures and tips to take while the warning is still active.
What should I do? What does this mean?
• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute and let it cool before using 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. Human pathogens in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, 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 from their healthcare providers about drinking this water.
What is being done?
Additional sampling upstream and downstream of 1037 Ashley Avenue in Indian Harbour Beach has been collected. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria are present and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within 48 hours of this notification.
For more information, please contact David Phares at 321-608-5700. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by bacteria and other disease-causing organisms are available on the EPA Ground Water and Drinking Water Website at https://www.epa.gov/ground-water-and-drinking-water.
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