It’s the “moment we’ve all been waiting for,” said communications manager Ross Freeman.
Mercer Island’s second ‘boil water’ advisory was lifted Wednesday Oct. 8 at noon. The source of contamination is still unknown, and officials can’t give a 100 percent guarantee that the problem has been solved. Still, the city and the State Department of Health are confident in saying that after six days of clear tests – revealing no E. coli or related bacteria – Island water is safe to drink.
The city will continue daily water sampling. The Island’s first ‘boil water’ advisory lasted from Sept. 27-29, but E. coli was found again on Oct. 1, prompting a longer advisory and a more cautious and comprehensive approach to lifting it.
City Manager Noel Treat said that the work isn’t done yet. The city will follow a five-point plan to keep an eye on the water situation. The plan involves conducting an expert review, continuing to monitor water quality, maintaining higher chlorine levels, continuing inspections of equipment and facilities and enforcing a backflow prevention device inspection program.
Restaurants will be allowed to reopen after consulting with Public Health – Seattle and King County inspectors over the phone. Public Health’s Becky Elias said that the Island’s 62 food establishments should be open on Oct. 8 or 9. Site visits aren’t required for reopening because inspectors have visited each establishment three or four times in the past two weeks, Elias said.
Mayor Bruce Bassett said the city recognizes the financial impact on Island businesses, and that it will try to publicize a ‘shop local, eat local’ campaign. He and city staff met with 30 business owners on Oct. 8 to ask what they need to get back on their feet. The city may offer small business administration loans. Business owners should call 206-205-4071 for more details.
“It’s been a hard 12 days,” he said at a press briefing. “(Businesses) have been hit hard by this. Some lost part of their normal business, and many were forced to close entirely. They’ve discarded expensive inventory, twice. They’ve been forced through a complicated reopening process once, and now will go through it again.”
The city provided 2,200 cases of water to vulnerable populations on the Island for a cost of $8,000, said emergency manager Jennifer Franklin.
The rest of the financial impact isn’t yet known, Bassett said, noting that overtime, purchase or rental of specialized equipment and resources for the Emergency Operation Center (EOC) will factor in.
The city also hired an outside consultant, Confluence WTIC, which will cost $10,000 to $15,000. Bassett said that the firm has already started its investigation, and will deliver a proposed work plan. City officials are hoping that an expert review will help them uncover things they may have missed in the past week and a half.
Residents are encouraged to flush their systems by running the cold water tap for five minutes. Because of the increased chlorination over the past few days, some residents may notice a chlorine smell, which isn’t harmful, in their water.
Now that the advisory has been lifted, Freeman said residents should “do the flushing, trust the water delivery network and have faith in the ongoing investigation.”
Go to http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/disaster/BoilOrder.aspx to learn more about residential flushing.
