DRINKING WATER WARNING

Coliform bacteria detected in Village of Paw Paw water

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Our water system detected the presence of coliform bacteria in the water supply. We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. We took 10 samples for coliform bacteria during August. Two of those samples showed the presence of coliform bacteria.
 

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. 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 preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice.
 
If you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking this water.
 

What does this mean?

Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found and this is a warning of potential problems.
 
Usually, coliforms are a sign that there could be a problem with the treatment or distribution system (pipes). Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as E. coli, are present. No E. coli has been detected. If E. coli had been detected, we would have notified you immediately. However, we are still finding coliforms in the drinking water.
 

What happened? What is being done?

The Village is following the guidance of the Drinking Water and Environmental Health Division at EGLE.
We are still detecting coliform bacteria. We will inform you when our sampling shows that no bacteria are detected. We anticipate resolving the problem within 48 hours. Please continue using boiled or bottled water until we notify you otherwise.
 
If you have questions, you may contact John Small of Village of Paw Paw at 269-657-3169, [email protected] and 110 Harry L. Bush Blvd, Paw Paw, MI 49079. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1‑800‑426‑4791.
 
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
 

Instructions:

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