After the massive flooding in Colorado, the state and several cities and municipalities warned residents to avoid flood water and issued boil orders. Now E. coli bacteria has been found in the water system in Lyons, Colorado. The town is in the foothills north of Boulder.
The news was streamed over the internet on the Longmont Channel because City Hall is shut down. City administrator Victoria Simonsen said in that meeting, “we don’t want you using any of the water, so it was turned off. It is critical we get that back up and get it disinfected before we would want any of you to be back.” Officials said it could take up to six months before the town is livable. Lyons was previously under a “boil water” order.
The contamination is most likely from raw sewage and livestock waste. For more information and resources on how to handle flooding, disaster recovery, and safe food handling, please visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
