Isle aux Morts' potable water supply unit and tap water test positive for E.coli

A town on Newfoundland's southwest coast is advising residents to throw out any water they have taken recently from its water house and to not drink tap water from its taps.

A post on Isle aux Morts' Facebook page Wednesday evening said E.coli had been detected in the water building, near the town's fire hall. People use the potable water-dispensing unit, which purifies water, to fill up bottles for their own use.

"If you have received water from the building in the past couple of days it is recommended that you discard of that water," says the post, which notes the water building will be closed until testing comes back clear.

Mayor Nelson Lillingtown told CBC News on Thursday morning that the town's tap water was safe to drink, but later said a subsequent test of the town's tap water had also come back positive for E.coli and a boil-water advisory had been put in effect.

"We are in the process of acquiring bottled water to give to households until we have a better idea on how long this will take to resolve," he said in the email.

Lillington said work is being done to inform people as quickly as possible about the problem.

"Between social media and word of mouth we are hoping that everyone is aware of this. Town staff are calling all the seniors in town that may not be connected to social media."

But the provincial government disputes the mayor's information. A spokesperson for Digital Government and Service N.L. said the tap water is still safe to drink and there is no boil-water advisory in effect.

"The remainder of the water distribution system, which directly supplies households in the town, has been tested and currently shows no indication of E.coli," spokesperson Gina MacArthur told CBC News in an email late Thursday afternoon.

The water-dispensing unit is "extremely important" as a water source, said Lillington, and water testing is done regularly by Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services and the provincial government. He said the unit is council's best way of providing clear drinking winter to residents.

Town council is working with the provincial government to figure out how the contamination happened, he said, but he doesn't know when the water will be safe to drink again.

Lillington said he is concerned about the safety of residents of Isle aux Morts — with a population of 559, according to recent Statistics Canada data — who might have consumed the water, since they don't know when the exposure happened.

Exposure to E.coli bacteria can cause nausea, vomiting, mild fever, headaches and severe stomach cramps as well as watery or bloody diarrhea. Severe cases can lead to hospitalization or even death.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, symptoms can last from five to 10 days. People who contract E.coli are advised to drink plenty of fluids to replace lost fluid.

Waiting for more information

Andrew Parsons, MHA for Burgeo-La Poile, told CBC News on Thursday he has asked the Municipal Affairs Department for more information.

"I'm just hearing from constituents about, you know, getting access to water. What can we do there to help, whether it's, you know, provision of water and supplies to people that are in need," Parsons said.

"Right now I'm sort of in a fact-finding mode, just like most people I think are."

Parsons said people in the community should contact council for the most up-to-date information.

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