5,000 in Valley urged to boil drinking water

E. coli bacteria found in the water supply is forcing about 5,000 people in the Greenacres area to boil water used for cooking and drinking.

It is the second such “boil order” in Spokane County this month. The first affected about 4,000 customers of Spokane County Water District 3 in the Country Homes area just north of the Spokane city limits.

Consolidated Irrigation District 19, which covers much of the eastern half of the Spokane Valley, issued the advisory Wednesday for customers in the area south of Interstate 90, east of Flora Road and west of Henry Road. Otis Orchards, which is north of I-90 and is also served by the district, is not affected.

E. coli is an anaerobic bacteria found in the large intestines of humans and other animals. Occasionally found in food and water supplies, the bacteria can cause extreme intestinal illness. Fecal matter is the most common source of contamination.

Residents in the area have been warned to boil water for three to five minutes and let it cool before using it for drinking, washing dishes, preparing food or brushing teeth.

The source of the contamination was not known Wednesday, and no illnesses have been reported, said Scott Torpie, eastern regional manager for the state Department of Health’s Office for Drinking Water.

“We’re doing all we can to eliminate the bacteria from the water system,” Consolidated spokeswoman Sharron Kimball said in a press release.

Greenacres Elementary School and Greenacres Middle School were affected, but school was in session Wednesday.

Central Valley School District spokeswoman Melanie Rose said the school district was notified by the water district Tuesday afternoon about possible contamination. That allowed schools to take some preliminary measures, she said.

“We have brought in bottled water,” Rose said. “The students have potable water so they can wash their hands.”

Most district customers were notified about the problem Wednesday, when the contamination was confirmed.

Rose said the district purchased about 1,000 bottles of water and will need more. All drinking fountains and faucets have been closed down. In food services, the schools have implemented supplementary hand washing processes and other safety measures, Rose said.

“We can still operate without the water,” Rose said. “We feel like we’ll be able to continue the education process even though we have a problem.”

Initially, the school district administration office and Barker Center, which houses an alternative high school and preschool, had also been placed on alert. But by noon Wednesday, officials learned that the two buildings were not in the contaminated area, Rose said.

Rose said if parents are worried about their children’s safety, they can get them out of school as an excused absence.

Area businesses began making adjustments in light of the advisory.

Chih-Chen Chan, owner of the Greenacres Restaurant, 18203 E. Appleway Ave., said restaurant staff had received detailed instructions from the health department. The ice machines have been shut down and the restaurant is using bottled water and doing extra sanitizing.

“We’re just taking good care … I have to watch every detail, and we can’t make any mistakes,” Chen said.

However, Pete’s Pizza manager Calven Eldred said that restaurant, at 18219 E. Appleway Ave., would be closed until the notice was lifted.

“We closed the store down because we don’t have the capacity to boil enough water,” said Eldred.

Emergency chlorine treatment has been applied to the affected area, Torpie said. The water district is installing disinfection units at the sources that supply the polluted section, and the district’s reservoir will be drained, cleaned and tested.

It is unknown when the advisory will be lifted. The District 3 “boil order” lasted four days.