Possible E.coli Exposure Shuts Off Water To Entire Brighton Neighborhood
BRIGHTON, Colo. (CBS4)- The possible exposure to E.coli has forced health officials in Brighton to shut off water to an entire neighborhood until more testing can be completed.
The water supply to an entire street in Brighton, located at 33rd Avenue and Southern, was shut down on Thursday as crews tried to pinpoint the source of the E.coli.
The boil water advisory continues to be in effect indefinitely for all Brighton residents.
City of Brighton workers brought in bottled water by the truckload for families living where the water had been shut off.
"Obviously we're supplying all the bottled water that each family individually would need for their own individual use and also for their animals," said Brighton City Councilman J.W. Edwards.
The city initially thought it had the E.coli concerns under control and was ready to blame poor testing for the results. A second round of testing confirmed the E.coli and that's when city council members went door to door to warn residents.
The city maintains that the water supply has not been contaminated.
"The distribution for the city is fine. The issue has been isolated on this particular street," said Edwards.
Residents were scared they might have been exposed or become sick from the contaminated water.
"She felt really bad. It was kind of scary and I was at work at the time," said Brighton resident Armando Campos. "She's due any day so I'm concerned about that."
He took his pregnant wife to the hospital after learning they might have been drinking contaminated water.
The city is providing hotel rooms free of charge for those displaced by the water shut off.
The city will flush the system and take more samples Friday evening. Those results should come back in about 24 hours.
This statement was released by the City of Brighton on Thursday evening:
The City of Brighton Utilities Department has performed a second Bacteria Analysis test on the location in which the positive sample was found.
The test again returned positive. We have been able to identify the problem in one area and are isolating those homes from the city-wide system. We will be performing additional tests on homes in the near vicinity to determine exactly where the problem is occurring. While we do not believe there is any problem to our overall water distribution system, as a precaution, we will be keeping the BOIL WATER Advisory in effect until further notice.
Residents are advised to NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for three minutes, 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
If you have any questions, please contact the Utilities Department at 303-655-2000 or visit www.brightonco.gov or check our Facebook or Twitter pages for more information. The City encourages residents to pass along this information to fellow residents within the Brighton service area.
