Boil order issued for some city buildings in Rexburg due to coliform bacteria
Published at | Updated at
REXBURG — The city of Rexburg and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality have issued a boil order in the area of Nature Park Road, Eagle Park Road and North 5th West in Rexburg.
The area is surrounding the Rexburg Nature Park and thus far the only buildings affected by the order are owned by the city.
On Thursday, during a routine testing of community’s water system, the Rexburg Water Department took one sample that tested positive for E-coli. Afterward, additional samples were taken and sent to an independent lab for testing.
The second set of tests found no E-coli, but one sample did test positive for total coliform bacteria. These bacteria can make you sick, and are especially a concern for people with weakened immune systems, according to a city news release.
Bacterial contamination can occur when increased runoff enters the drinking water source. It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system or a failure in the water treatment process.
The city will continue to test and flush the water system to comply with all Idaho Department of Environmental Quality standards. City officials expected the problem to be resolved within 96 hours.