originally posted on September 28, 2016

GRANITE FALLS — A boil water advisory remained active Tuesday for a small water district south of town.

The Lake Alyson Water District issued the advisory Sept. 22 after tests showed E. coli present in the water, according to the state Department of Health. People who live in the Lake Alyson neighborhood should boil water or use bottled water until the advisory is withdrawn.

E. coli is a type of fecal coliform bacteria that is mostly harmless and can be found in human intestines. Some strains can cause illness and E. coli is used as an indicator of overall water quality. The presence of E. coli can indicate that other pathogens are in the water, according to the Department of Health. Boiling water should kill both harmless and harmful strains of the bacteria.

There was some confusion on social media this week about whether the water in other areas of Snohomish County was safe to drink. A Google search for Lake Alyson Water District places it inaccurately in Smokey Point, leading some to worry that water in the Arlington area wasn’t safe.

“Arlington’s water system and the Lake Alyson water system are two separate water systems. Arlington’s water is safe to drink,” the city said in a statement shared Monday on Facebook.

The Lake Stevens School District also is not affected by the E. coli found in Lake Alyson water, spokeswoman Jayme Taylor said in an email Tuesday. The school district does plan to test for lead in drinking water in its schools starting Wednesday. The testing is part of state requirements to monitor water quality, according to a news release.