Some 1,900 homes in Pierce County on boil-water notice after E. coli detected in sample
Roughly 1,900 homes in the Gig Harbor area have been advised to boil tap water after E. coli was found in a water sample, the city announced Friday.
“The majority of this water system is located in unincorporated Pierce County, but several neighborhoods along Peacock Hill in city-limits are also affected,” the city said on its website.
Washington Water Service posted a notice Thursday evening warning that bacteria had been found in a sample collected from a Peacock Hill water-system storage tank. The 1,900 lots and houses that use this system are urged to drink and cook with bottled or boiled-tap water until further notice.
The sample that detected the E. coli and total coliform bacteria was taken Wednesday.
Another round of samples will be administered Friday, Sept. 6, according to a press release. Afterward, the water service will introduce chlorine to the system’s other storage tanks as a precautionary measure.
“We have notified the Washington State Department of Health about this incident, and we are advising you to take this measure out of an abundance of caution because protecting your health and safety is our highest priority,” the Washington Water news release states.
If E. coli is present in a sample, it means that the water could have been impacted by animal or human wastes, per the release. Short-term symptoms are possible from exposure, including nausea, diarrhea, headaches and cramps. Some immunocompromised people are especially at risk, as are young kids, infants and certain elderly people.
You must boil tap water — bringing it to a rolling boil for a minute and allowing it to cool — before drinking it, according to Washington Water. In addition to using boiled or bottled water for drinking, it should also be used for brushing teeth, making ice, hand-washing dishes and prepping food.
You can use tap water for bathing, showering and using the dishwasher so long as commercial dishwashing detergent and the sanitizing/heat cycle are used, the release states.
Those who buy bottled water as a result of the advisory can ask for a reimbursement by mailing a receipt, with their address and account number, to P.O. Box 336, Gig Harbor, WA 98335.
Residents with concerns or questions can call 877-408-4060 or email customerservice@wawater.com. View a map of the affected area by visiting wawater.com/alerts/peacock2409.
