During the month of July 2024, the City of Humboldt found E. coli at the point-of-entry into the public water system.
What should I do? Do not drink the water without boiling it first.
Bring water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use 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.
What does this mean? 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, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. However, if you have specific health concerns, you may want to consult a physician.
What happened? What is being done? Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process.
The City of Humboldt is continuing to test the system to confirm there is no contamination.
For additional information contact: Josh Chesnut at 402-677-0671.
