Vinton residents are being asked to boil tap water before consumption after officials discovered amounts of E. coli bacteria at a house Friday morning.

The boil order will remain in effect until further notice, but officials anticipate resolving the problem within 24 hours. Vinton Mayor John Watson said they will be retesting the water and will notify residents when the boil order is lifted.

According to a news release, bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source, a break occurs in the distribution system or there is a failure in the water treatment process. Watson said in this particular case, it was not due to a water main break.

E. coli bacteria can make people sick, and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

Vinton officials say:

•  DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
•  Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.
•   The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

For more information,  contact Vinton City Hall at 319-472-4707 or PO Box 529, Vinton, IA 52349. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1(800) 426-4791.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.