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Syracuse • When he heard the city's water had tested positive for E. coli and coliform, resident Rick Hawley said, his first thought was to wonder how that could have happened.
"It's pretty scary," he said Saturday afternoon as he picked up a case of bottled water at the Syracuse fire station.
Hawley — who, along with his wife, takes care of their granddaughter while their parents are at work — said his son had left a note on every faucet in the house reminding them to boil water before using. He boiled a large pan of water to be ready to give the baby a bath or for any other activity requiring water, he said.
Syracuse and officials issued a boil notice Friday afternoon that covers the entire city, which has a population of about 27,000. Precautions are expected to be in place until early in the week. Saturday evening, Clinton also issued a boil notice after the city's water tested positive for E. coli and coliform as well.
At a news conference on Saturday, Dave Spence, director of the Environmental Health Services Division of the Davis County Health Department, said there have been no confirmed cases of illnesses from the E. coli and coliform in the water in Syracuse. He said anyone with symptoms, which include diarrhea, vomiting and fever, should see a physician.
Syracuse Public Works, which received the first call about discolored water on Wednesday, has identified the source of the contamination as a "cross connection" between the culinary and secondary water systems, Deputy Fire Chief Joe Hamblin said.
He said the problem stemmed from a developer incorrectly connecting lines that run under 2000 West.
City officials in Clinton also said a "cross connection" may be the problem there, according to a news release on the city's Facebook page.
Public Works Director Robert Whiteley said crews have been flushing the Syracuse water mains and chlorinating the water and test results in the past few days have shown improvement. The boil notice was issued because of the possibility of residual contamination.
Clinton also began disinfecting the water Saturday evening, but warned that the water is not safe to drink yet. Clinton did not have a projection for when that will be in its news release.
Residents are advised to use or drink only bottled or boiled water, and to throw out ice cubes. The Davis County Health Department advises that water be brought to a rapid boil for one minute.
"Showering or bathing is permissible in un-boiled water only if there are no open sores on the body and it doesn't enter the mouth," according to the health department.
After the city declares that the water is safe again, residents should drain and flush all ice makers, water heaters, purifiers, water softeners and reverse-osmosis systems, according to the health department. When replacing or cleaning filters or screening devices, follow the manufacturer recommendations.
"[Also], let chlorinated cold water run through every faucet of the home or business for 20 minutes, followed by two minutes of straight hot water. Replace filters," the health department advised.
To inform the public of the problem, Syracuse officials issued news releases, posted information on Facebook and the city website, initiated reverse 911 calls to residents and requested that area volunteer emergency coordinators spread the word.
On Saturday, Syracuse began distributing cases of water to residents on a first-come, first-serve basis at the fire station, 1869 S. 3000 West. The distribution will continue during daytime hours while the problem is being corrected, Fire Chief Eric Froerer said.
To answer questions, the city has set up an after-hours hotline: 801-643-5775. For calls between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, call 801-825-7253.
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