UPDATED Saturday, June 27, 2009 --- 1:50 p.m.

The boil water order for the City of Montello was cancelled as of 8:00am on Saturday June 27th.

12 samples on Thursday the 25th and 12 samples on Friday the 26th indicated no coliform or E. coli present.

The initial sample site was retested twice and passed.

from Glenn Buchholz
DPW
City of Montello

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 ---11:35 a.m.

From The Department of Natural Resources:

As part of its routine drinking water testing program, the City of Montello collected a water sample on June 22, 2009, that contained coliform and E. coli bacteria.

This sample was from the city water distribution system.

Drinking water standards established by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources state that coliform and E. coli bacteria should not be present in drinking water.

The DNR has asked the City of Montello to issue a "boil water" notice to its water consumers. All water used for drinking, food preparation, and ice should be boiled at a full rolling boil for at least five minutes, as a safety precaution, prior to use.

Ice or any beverages prepared with unboiled tap water should be discarded.

"The U.S. Environmental Agency sets drinking water standards and has determined that the presence of coliform and E. coli bacteria is a health concern," Robert Barnum, Water Supply Engineer for the Department of Natural Resources, Northeast Region says. "These bacteria indicate harmful organisms might have entered the distribution system."

EPA has set an enforceable drinking water standard for total coliforms and E. coli to reduce the risk of these adverse health effects. Under this standard, all drinking water shall be free of these bacteria.

Drinking water, which meets this standard, is usually not associated with a health risk from disease-causing bacteria and should be considered safe.

Barnum said further sampling will be conducted to isolate the source of contamination and that these precautions should be followed until you receive notice that the water supply has returned to a safe condition.

Montello Water Utility personnel will be working closely with department to resolve the problem.

Municipal employees will be flushing the distribution system and will be increasing the chlorination dosage rate in cleaning out the system.

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UPDATED Thursday, June 25, 2009 --- 11:00 a.m.

From Montello City Officials:

The entire city of Montello in Marquette County is under a water boil order after the DNR found E. coli bacteria in a random sample of city water.

The city was notified at 3:30 pm yesterday.

This affects only people in Montello (1400 residents) using city water.

The DNR continues to test the water today. Officials hope to get the "all clear" by noon tomorrow.

In the meantime, city officials are going door to door to notify residents of the bacteria concern and water boil order.

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Posted Wednesday, June 24, 2009 --- 10:12 p.m.

Montello School officials tell NBC15 that there will not be summer school sessions Thursday.

The decision comes after word late tonight of a possible boil order in the city. They say they weren't sure it would affect the students, but didn't want to put anyone in danger with water supplies needed as temperatures reach into the 90s.

The Marquette County Sheriff's Office and the Montello Police Department have not had any information to release about the boil order yet.