UPDATE: City of Cape Coral rescinds boil water notice, water safe to drink

BREAKING UPDATE

The City of Cape Coral has said they have received clearance from the health department to rescind the citywide boil water notice.

“The City-wide boil water notice was done out of an abundance of caution because Cape Coral follows very strict federal and state laws on monitoring water contaminants,” according to the city. “Cape Coral City water is not contaminated, and no further precautions are needed.”

The boil water notice lasted about a day after E. coli was found in two separate samples of Cape Coral drinking water on Monday.

EARLIER

A citywide boil water notice was issued on Monday following the routine random sampling in two different locations. The samples were found next to a dog park, so Rob Hernandez, the city manager, said there could be a variety of methods of cross-contamination.

The first sample of alarm tested positive for the presence of total coliform, which is an indicator that there may be bacteria in the drinking water, though no E. coli was found in that sample.

After more testing was done, a positive test for E. coli was found at another nearby location, which was enough to send out a citywide boil water notice. The city said the results are isolated to a very small part of the city in the Rotary Park area, near the dog park.

“The two positive test results out of 120 that we conduct on a monthly basis came back positive in an extremely narrow, geographic area. I have no information right now to indicate that there is a problem of any kind with the city’s, the quality and the safety of the city of Cape Coral’s water treatment system,” Hernandez said.

This means that you should not drink the water without boiling it first. You should let the water boil for one minute and then let it cool before using it. Bottled water is also a recommended option.

E. coli and fecal coliforms are bacteria that may mean the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice from their health care providers about drinking water in the affected area.