The Town of Leonville recently detected a fecal indicator.
E. coli was located in well number two, on September 17, near a town yard in proximity to Creswell Lane.
In their press release, they say, "As our customers, you have a right to know what happened and what we are doing to correct this situation."
The well is now offline, they say, and it will be flushed and/or disinfected with confirmation sampling supported by Louisiana Department of Health prior to being placed back into service.
Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains), they say.
It can also happen due to a break in the water line pipe or a failure in the water treatment process.
They issue a boil water advisory and asks for the public to not drink the water without boiling it.
Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, 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, they say.
E. coli is a bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, they say. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking this water. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
The Town of Leonville will inform the public when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water. They anticipate resolving the problem by September 20, 2021.
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