Video SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WPRI) — A boil water advisory is in place for parts of South Kingstown and Narragansett due to the detection of E. coli bacteria in five public water systems, the Department of Health announced Friday.
UPDATE: Narragansett Fire says it could take days to fix the problem.
Health officials said about 38,000 customers are affected.
The water systems affected under the boil water advisory are: Suez Water (customers with questions should contact Chris Jacobs at 401-316-2201) Narragansett – Point Judith (customers with questions should contact the Police Department at 401-789-1091 or the Water Department at 401-782-0639) Narragansett – North End supplied by Suez Water (customers with questions should contact the Police Department at 401-789-1091 or the Water Department at 401-782-0639) South Kingstown – South Shore (customers with questions should contact the Police Department at 401-783-3321) South Kingstown – Middlebridge (customers with questions should contact the Police Department at 401-783-3321) The Health Department said affected customers should boil vigorously, for at least one minute, all water used for consumption.
These recommendations pertain to water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation.
Health officials said infants and young children should not be bathed in this water because they may swallow it accidentally.
E. coli is bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste.
However, the University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus is impacted by this advisory.
Earlier this week, a portion of Narragansett Bay was closed off to shellfishing after a sewage line collapsed, causing approximately 300,000 gallons of sewage to overflow.
On Friday, the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) reduced the shellfishing closure to only the two-mile stretch of Warwick coast in the upper Narragansett Bay.