The boil water advisory in Port McNeill is over.
For six weeks now, residents have been told to boil water for at least a minute before drinking it, brushing their teeth, or cooking with it.
Why?
A regular test back in August showed there was E. coli in the water.
Not a lot of E. coli, and only from areas along Beach Drive. But it was still enough for Island Health to be concerned. That’s because E. coli can make people super sick.
The weird thing was, no one could figure out where the E. coli was coming from. The bacteria generally comes from poop, but there was no obvious way poop bacteria were getting into the water supply.
So in early September, the town carried out a total chlorine disinfection of the whole water system. It’s like how they have to shock the Port McNeill swimming pool after a toddler has an “accident.”
On September 14, the town flushed the water system to get all the worst of the chlorine out. But, of course, no one wants the tap to smell like a chemical plant.
Since then, two water tests in a row have come back negative for E. coli.
Phewf!
The advisory was officially lifted on September 22. Time to get chugging!
