Lindon City Utah Boil Order

*** UPDATE: 12/26/2016 1006 MST    -    BOIL ORDER HAS BEEN LIFTED***

Lindon City, Utah announced that as of December 23rd 2016, a boil order is in effect due to routine water tests indicating the presence of E.coli bacteria in Lindon's water.

Fecal colony forming (coliform) bacteria are a large family of bacteria. Escherichia coli, also know as E.coli is an anaerobic gram-negative bacterium that is found in the intestine of mammals like humans and other furry animals. The presence of any strain of E.coli in water means that the water has been contaminated by fecal-matter.

There are many strains of E.coli, and not all are harmful. However, certain strains of E.coli are dangerous (pathogenic), and associated with gastroenteritis, urinary tract infections and neonatal meningitis.

Symptoms of E.coli-related illness can include: headache, fatigue,severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever, and respiratory distress. Symptoms of disease can manifest within a few hours to several days after infection and can last more than two weeks. If you feel sick, consult with you health provider as soon as possible.

Since they don't know exactly which strain of E.Coli is in the water , and waiting to speciate would be irresponsible; the city has sensibly issued a boil order and is working hard on resolving the issue as quickly as possible.

Resolution of the problem will involve flushing water distribution laterals, shock-chlorination and possible replacement of contaminated piping and/or fittings. The Lindon City water department will also be working with the Utah State DEQ and Utah County Health Department to make sure that possible causal factors are identified, and that the latest best practices are followed.

Every boil order situation is different, making it impossible to predict how long the boil order will actually remain in effect.

The boil order will not be lifted until repeated testing shows that the water meets public health standards and no longer poses a known threat to public health.

To the residents and users of Lindon City water, here is some very important information:

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST

Bring water to boil, keep it boiling for at least 60 seconds, and then allow it to cool before drinking.

DO NOT LET WATER GET INTO YOUR EYES OR MOUTH IN THE SHOWER

Babies, older persons, and those with compromised immune systems should not bathe in the water

DO NOT BRUSH YOUR TEETH WITH TAP WATER

Disinfect your toothbrush and then only use bottled water

DO NOT USE ICE FROM YOUR ICE-MAKER

Throw out ice in the ice bin and turn the ice-maker off

DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM YOUR REFRIGERATOR

Turn off the water supply to your fridge and discard your fridge filter

DO NOT DRINK WATER FROM YOUR WATER FILTER

Carbon filters, sediment filters, and even Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems are not suitable for removing bacteria. Technologies like Ultraviolet (UV) and Ultrafiltration (UF) are effective at addressing E.coli, but only if the system is tested and certified to do so.

USE THE DISINFECTION/STERILIZE CYCLE ON YOUR DISHWASHER

If you hand-wash, immerse the clean dishes in water with bleach added (1 tsp. per Gallon) and let them stay in the bleached water for at least 1 minute.

USE HOT/HOT CYCLES ON YOUR CLOTHES WASHER

The hotter the better, and after each load, run an empty load (or load of whites) with a cup-full of bleach to minimize contamination

TURN OFF YOUR CENTRAL HUMIDIFIER

Throw away humidifier evaporative pads and turn the water off to the humidifier

DISINFECT WATER BEING USED IN YOUR PORTABLE HUMIDIFIER

Add 4 Tsp. of Hydrogen peroxide per Gallon of water

DO NOT WASH YOU HANDS WITH THE WATER

Use bottled water or hand sanitizer

DO NOT LET YOUR PETS DRINK THE WATER

Give them bottled water and be sure to clean and disinfect their water bowl

BYPASS YOUR WATER SOFTENER

This will help avoid further contamination

 

AFTER THE BOIL ORDER IS LIFTED

Once the boil-order has been lifted, be sure to flush and disinfect the household plumbing. Then disinfect your dishwasher and clothes washer along with your water heater, humidifier, ice-maker, and any other water-using appliances.

If you have a water softener, conditioner, salt-free system, or whole-house filter, disinfect it according to manufacturer's instructions.

If you have a drinking filter, throw away the filter cartridge/s, sanitize according to manufacturer's instructions, and install new cartridge/s.

Part of the procedure for ensuring your safety is to flush and clean certain piping, as well as introducing large amounts of chlorine into the city's plumbing system. It's always wise to wait a few days before drinking the unfiltered tap water again to avoid chlorine disinfection byproducts and organic material.