E. Coli Detected In Untreated Wayland Drinking Water, Officials Say

WAYLAND, MA — Wayland officials confirmed Wednesday the presence of E.coli, "a fecal indicator," in its drinking water supply collected Tuesday.

The untreated water sample was collected from the Chamberlain G.P. Well, one of eight drinking water supply sources which is "routinely monitored for the presence of drinking water contaminants to ensure the safety of the water supply," officials said.

The water delivered to taps through the distribution system is disinfected with chlorine to kill viruses and bacteria, including E.coli, according to officials. The treated samples did not detect any fecal contaminants.

Fecal indicators are microbes used to "detect groundwater sources that may be susceptible to fecal contamination which may contain harmful viruses or bacteria," officials said. "Microbes in these wastes can cause 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."

After the sample came back positive, the well was taken offline.

"Even though none of the chlorinated samples tested positive, the chlorine disinfection system at the Chamberlain G.P. Well has not been certified by MassDEP as 4-log compliant for 99.99% virus inactivation," according to officials. "In accordance with the new federal Ground Water Rule requirements, we are notifying you of the situation and conducting additional sampling to evaluate the extent of potential fecal contamination and will take further actions as necessary."

Despite this, officials said that "this is not an emergency" and "you do not need to boil your water or take any other corrective action at this time."

Anyone who experiences symptoms that concern them, whether or not they may be related to contaminated water, should contact their doctor, according to officials. 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 or online.

"We continue to maintain chlorine levels throughout our system and monitor for the presence of fecal contaminants in the sources and distribution system to ensure the safety of the water supply," officials said. "Our system is undergoing repeat testing and evaluation to determine if the current level of treatment is adequate or if additional corrective actions are necessary to reduce the risk of potential fecal contamination in our drinking water supply."

They added: "We are in contact with MassDEP during this process who will evaluate the effectiveness of the steps taken and determine if any further action is required. If necessary, you will be notified again if you need to take any corrective actions."