Boil water alert for Risdon Vale

HUNDREDS of Hobart households are being warned not to drink their tap water.

An outbreak of E. coli has been discovered at Risdon Vale and the community has been put on a boil water alert.

TasWater tests confirmed the presence of the bacteria yesterday.

E. coli is generally associated with faecal contamination and TasWater is investigating the source.

Staff were last night door knocking residents to warn them about the outbreak.

Shops and businesses were also being contacted.

About 600 households are believed to be affected.

TasWater systems performance department manager Lance Stapleton said the level of contamination was high.

“The level was reasonably high for an urban reticulation system,” Mr Stapleton said.

He said a level of 51 colony forming units/ml of E. coli had been found.

“A level of one would cause some concern,” he said.

Risdon Jail has its own water supply so is not affected, but Risdon Vale Primary School is affected. TasWater will organise a water tank for the school.

Mr Stapleton said the boil water alert would likely remain for at least three days.

An incident room has been set up yesterday to look into the outbreak. The source is unknown.

Mr Stapleton said even a truck pulling water out of the network could cause contamination.

“We do know that firefighting trucks were pulling water out near the testing point,” he said.

He said E. coli could come from human or animal sources.

“We now have to go through the process of ruling everything out,” he said.

The Department of Health and Human Services ordered the boil water alert in the interests of public safety.

The department has warned consumption of the affected water could cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach cramps and a general feeling of being unwell.

Mr Stapleton said anyone suffering any illness should contact their doctor.

“We think the risk is probably low but we need to be precautionary until we have sufficient test results,” he said.