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Mansfield DPW worker David Mahoney hands out water Monday at a free distribution station at the town DPW yard.
Mansfield DPW worker David Mahoney hands out water Monday at a free distribution station at the town DPW yard.
MANSFIELD — The town’s drinking water emergency, which began last weekend and forced residents and businesses to use bottled and boiled water, has ended.
“The Town has received notification of its third consecutive test absent of bacteria in the water distribution system,” Interim DPW Director Josh Reinke announced late Wednesday afternoon, adding MassDEP was notified. “Therefore, the boil water order is lifted effective immediately.”
Water customers are advised to flush all faucets and water lines, including ice/water dispensers and water treatment systems. Hot water tanks might also need to be flushed.
Customers should also run cold water faucets until the water feels cold, one minute or more, before drinking, brushing teeth, or using it for food preparation. If you have a single-lever faucet, set it to run the cold water first.
To clear hot-water pipes and water heaters of untreated water, change all faucets to hot water and flush for at least 15 minutes for a typical household 40-gallon hot-water tank.
More detailed information is available at www.mansfieldma.com.
Residents and businesses have since Sunday been advised to boil water or use bottled water for drinking for themselves and pets, brushing teeth, washing dishes and utensils, and food preparation because of E. coli bacterial contamination.
The bacteria can cause illness, especially in young, elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
It has been safe to use town water for hand washing, bathing and doing laundry, however.
The boil-water order was in effect, under DEP rules, until the town received three negative daily water tests.
The town was informed Tuesday tests Sunday and Monday showed no presence of bacteria. The results from Tuesday’s testing arrived Wednesday.
“We have gone through three rounds of testing which all resulted in negative test results,” Reinke said.
E. coli was found in a routine monthly sample of water collected last Wednesday from the Albertini Water Treatment Facility on West Street.
Town officials were notified Friday by a laboratory the sample was positive for the presence of total coliform and E. coli bacteria. Three more water samples were also taken Friday.
Town officials were informed Saturday night by the lab that one of the repeat samples was total coliform positive, E.coli absent, which constituted an E. coli Maximum Contaminant Level violation and necessitated a boil order within 24 hours of such notice. DEP was informed.
Town officials had been adding more chlorine at the water treatment plants to clear up any contamination.
Residents of Foxboro served by Mansfield water also needed to boil their water or use bottled water but Mansfield residents served by Attleboro water didn’t need to do either.
Thousands of residents received free cases of bottled water at a distribution station set up in the DPW parking lot on East Street.
The station, staffed by firefighters and Emergency Management Agency personnel, opened Sunday afternoon, handing out 1,500 cases the first day, about 1,500 Monday, and roughly 1,400 Tuesday, Fire Chief Justin Desrosiers said.
With the boil order lifted, the station won’t be open Thursday as had been scheduled.
Besides households, many local businesses have been impacted, including restaurants, pizza parlors and donut shops, some which closed rather than follow the board of health requirements to use bottled or boiled water.
The water situation led to several changes at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, which hosted a concert by Shinedown Tuesday night.
Drinking fountains were turned off, but water refill stations were available by visiting the guest services kiosk.
Hand washing in the restrooms was allowed but there were many hand sanitizing stations throughout the venue. Also, all ice used for drinks or chilling products didn’t involve town water, and old ice was discarded.
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