Boil water advisory for Mercer Island lifted
Sep 29, 2014, 8:54 AM | Updated: 1:09 pm
Mercer Island restaurants can reopen after a visit from an inspector. All restaurants on Mercer Island were closed when a routine test of the island's water supply came up positive for E.Coli. (KIRO Radio/Tim Haeck)
(KIRO Radio/Tim Haeck)
An advisory for Mercer Island residents to boil water has been lifted after the latest test results were analyzed and proved clear of E.Coli.
Health officials advised residents to boil drinking water on Saturday after E. coli turned up in routine sampling.
The city’s water provider, Seattle Public Utilities, routinely tests more than 800 water samples for bacteria around the region each month, including 18 samples from Mercer Island. Samples collected on Mercer Island on Friday showed the presence of E. coli.
With the clear tests, restaurants that were closed on Mercer Island can now reopen, following a visit from a city inspector.
The owner of Roberto’s Pizza & Pasta cheered when a reporter walked in the door Monday morning, thinking he was a health inspector was arriving to help her reopen. She lost a weekend of business due to the water problem.
“It pretty much wrecked our Saturday. We had a large party scheduled and several people came from out of town and we had to tell them to go somewhere else.”
City Manager Noel Treat said they’re glad the water scare is over.
“We are gratified to bring this potentially serious incident to an end, and we thank all residents for their sacrifices and food-service establishments for their willingness to cooperate for the health of the community.”
The source of the E.Coli contamination was not found and a specialist with the state Department of Health drinking water program says the source might never be known.
The Mercer Island School District says schools will reopen Tuesday after closing Monday to sanitize water-related systems.
The city says there were no increases in gastrointestinal illnesses at local hospitals and no confirmed cases of E.Coli linked to Mercer Island water.
To ensure safe water, the city advises residents to flush pipes by running cold water through all faucets for 5 minutes. For homes with multiple levels, they say to start at the top of the house. If water is discolored, they say to run it until it is clear.
They also suggest residents throw out all ice from ice makers and make a new batch after cleaning and sanitizing ice trays. For appliances that have water cycling through them they say to follow manufacturer’s instructions on how to clean.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
