Another boil water advisory has been issued by Mercer Island, Washington officials because E. coli and coliform bacteria were found in the city’s water. The city was under a boil water advisory last weekend that was lifted on Monday, September 29, 2014. On Thursday, October 2, 2014 another order was issued.
All water customers on the Island should boil water before drinking or using in cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, or use bottled water. Bring water to a full boil and boil for at least 1 minute. Dishwashers can be used only with the sanitizing/heat cycle and commercial dishwashing detergent. Hand wash dishes only if you do a final rinse in a diluted bleach solution. If you use the water for bathing, do not let children and babies get water in their mouths or chew on wet washcloths. There are no confirmed reports of illness at this time, according to the notice.
Bottled water is available at the Community Center. More water was brought in this morning. You can call to arrange delivery to your home at 206-275-7800 if you have mobility issues.
Restaurants on the Island were closed Thursday night. Some may open today only if they serve commercially pre-packaged food and receive approval from the Public Health’s Food Protection Program.
Crews are working with Seattle Public Utilities to increase the chlorine content in the water delivery system. Residents may notice additional chlorine smell when running cold water taps.
You can keep up to date on this ongoing issue by reading the City of Mercer Island, Washington home page. You can also call the hotline at 206-275-7800 for more information.
