Boil water advisory lifted for town of Harvard

Update: The town of Harvard said the boil water advisory has been lifted, as of Dec. 5 at 4:04 p.m.

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HARVARD, Mass. (Dec. 4, 2018) - The town of Harvard is alerting residents to boil water after E. coli was found in the town water supply.

A water sample collected Monday tested positive for the bacteria, a fecal indicator whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes.

"Pond Road Rock Well #2 is one of two wells that supplies drinking water to our system.  While we test more samples and evaluate the water system operation, we are advising our customers to BOIL the water prior to consumption to reduce any potential risk of exposure to bacterial or viral contamination," the town said in a statement.

Residents are advised not to drink the water without boiling it first for at least one minute, or to use bottled water.

Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, food preparation, brushing teeth, and washing dishes until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Residents should discard all ice, beverages, uncooked foods, and formula made with tap water.

For more information, contact Ron Gilbert at 978-456-4130.

Cox Media Group