Boil Water Notice LIFTED

Boil order residential infographic

UPDATE:

Boil Water Notice Lifted for Towns of North Attleboro, Plainville

NORTH ATTLEBORO AND PLAINVILLE — The Towns of North Attleboro and Plainville would like to inform residents that the boil water notice that was issued Thursday, Sept. 22 has been lifted.

The order was lifted for both towns as of 4 p.m. today, Friday, Sept. 23.

Representatives from each town worked closely with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection since routine water samples from the raw part of the water system and treatment facility shared by the two towns tested positive for E. coli on Wednesday, Sept. 21. Testing continued over the next two days.

“We would like to thank our residents for their cooperation and understanding since the boil water order was issued,” North Attleboro Town Manager Michael Borg said. “We assure our residents that the water has been thoroughly tested and has been deemed safe for public use.”

“Officials from our respective towns worked diligently to address the issue that was discovered earlier in the week and we thank Mass DEP for their support while the issue was resolved,” Plainville Town Manager Brian Noble said. “We would also like to thank everyone who helped distribute water over the past two days for residents in need.”

Residents with questions can contact the North Attleboro Department of Public Works at 508-695-7790 and the Plainville Department of Public Works at 508-699-2071.


North Attleborough Officials Announce Boil Water Notice


NORTH ATTLEBOROUGH — The Town of North Attleboro reports that the Town is currently under a boil water notice following the detection of E. coli in routine water sample collections.

The notice was issued after routine Town water samples collected on Wednesday, September 21 tested positive for E. coli. The E. coli was detected in the raw part of the water system and treatment facility that the Town of North Attleborough shares with the Town of Plainville.

Immediately after identifying the positive samples, officials engaged the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and a boil water notice is currently being issued. The cause of the contamination remains unknown at this time. 

The boil water notice remains in effect Town-wide for all those who utilize public water, and will continue until further notice. All water used for cooking, drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes or food preparation should be boiled for at least one minute prior to use, or bottled water should be used as an alternative.

Any ice, beverages, formula or uncooked foods that were prepared with water from the public water system on or after September 21 should be discarded.

The same precautions to protect humans also apply to pets. Pets should be given bottled water or boiled water that has cooled. Water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator, should not be used for pets while under a boil water notice. Fish or other aquatic pets should not be exposed to water containing elevated bacteria levels, and appropriately boiled or bottled water should be used instead.

To ensure residents have safe drinking water, the Town will distribute water at the Department of Public Works Garage, 240 Smith St., Thursday from 3 -7pm and Friday from 8am – 6pm. 

The towns will collect additional water samples today, September 22. 

Residents will be notified when the boil water notice ends. 

E. coli is a sub-group of the fecal coliform bacteria group. There are many strains of E. coli, most of which are harmless, but some strains can cause illness. Symptoms of E. coli sickness can include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. These symptoms may pose a greater health risk for infants, young children, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. These symptoms, however, are not just associated with water-borne illness; they may also come from other diseases. If you are ill with these symptoms, please contact your healthcare provider. 

Residents with additional questions can contact the North Attleboro Department of Public Works at 508-695-7790. Additional information regarding drinking water boil notices and other public health orders can be found on the DEP’s website.

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