Customers in Henry County, including Eminence and New Castle are safe
HENRY COUNTY, Ky. — Residents who get water from the Henry County Water District are under a boil water advisory due to an E. coli contamination.
The bacteria was found in the water supply on June 19.
"Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enter the drinking water source (for example, following heavy rains)," officials said Thursday. "It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes) or a failure in the water treatment process."
Henry County Water District customers, which includes residents in Henry and Trimble counties, are urged to boil the water before drinking it.
To boil the water, bring it to a boil and let it boil for one minute, let it cool before using.
Boiled water, or bottled water, should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
In the City of Eminence, Kentucky diners like Pucketts Family Restaurant had to think twice when serving customers on Friday.
"We are using bottled drinks, two liters to fill up their drinks and we can still wash dishes in the dishwasher because it's still hot water," said waiter Nick Sterling. "We're having to boil water to wash other dishes and produce too."
The general manager of the local business also turned off their fountain drink dispenser and want to the nearest store to purchase bottled drinks to serve as a precaution.
For Campbellsburg resident Jane Ross, who sat at a table at Pucketts, the advisory alert came as a surprise.
"Late this afternoon I want to the bank and saw a notice tape on the door that said there was a boil water advisory," she said. "That there was E. Coli in the water and I had no idea. I had been using water at my house all day."
Also impacted by the advisory was Hometown Pizza. The general manager Patricia Henderson said they couldn't open the shop for the first six hours of their business day.
"We use water to make our dough," she said. "Of course we had already made our dough for the morning so we tossed all of that out. We went and got some safe drinking water from a facility and we're actually just now getting opened back up."
The pizzeria also went into sanitation mode. They limited drinks to what they had botted and encouraged customers to bring their own if they wanted while they supplied clean ice.
"It freaks you out," Henderson said. "I mean you have to make sure you reassure your employees, the community, everybody that we are doing what we need to do to make sure that they're safe."
According to customers like Ross, they have full trust in their rural community to ensure a safe dining experience.
"We know the people here so well and I feel confident that they would follow every precaution in what we would eat here," she said.
If you did drink the water then be aware of E. Coli symptoms which can include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, or headaches. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical attention.
The bacteria poses an increased health risk for infants, young children, and those with weakened immune systems.
Officials said the bacteria was found at one site and upstream and downstream testing did not show any signs of contamination.
"We are inspecting the contaminated site and continuing to test the water for bacteria. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water," officials said.
The issue is expected to be resolved in the next 24 hours, officials added.
As of Saturday, June 21st, Henry County Government officials posted on Facebook that the boil water advisory has been lifted for all Henry County Water customers, including Eminence and New Castle.
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