E. coli detected for the second time in water supply near Seattle

By Victoria Cavaliere SEATTLE (Reuters) - Tap water in an affluent enclave near Seattle has tested positive for E. coli bacteria for the second time in a week, prompting Washington state health officials to close restaurants on Friday and urge residents to boil water before using it. The bacteria first showed up in the water supply on Mercer Island, a Seattle suburb on Lake Washington, on Sept. 26, forcing area schools to close on Monday as health officials collected thousands of samples in an effort to locate the source of the contamination. The alert was lifted earlier this week, but a water sample test on Thursday indicated the presence of E. coli, a fecal coliform bacteria that indicates the presence of sewage or animal waste in the water supply, according to health officials. Friday's advisory to boil water on Mercer Island affects about 24,000 people and dozens of businesses. Mayor Bruce Bassett apologized to residents, calling the situation "exceedingly unfortunate." Mercer Island schools were open on Friday, but health department officials ordered restaurants and cafes to close. Bottled water was being distributed at community centers and schools. "As of today, (there are) still no confirmed cases of E. coli illness," Mercer Island officials said in a statement. The source of the possible contamination remained unknown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most strains of E. coli are harmless but others can cause illness. http://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/ Mercer Island buys its water from Seattle Public Utilities, which provides water to about 1.5 million people in the Seattle area. The tap water is chlorinated, which normally kills the bacteria. The utility said in statement the contamination was "isolated" to Mercer Island. "All other water provided by SPU has tested safe for drinking," the statement said. Investigators were collecting samples from all over the island and inspecting waterlines, tanks and other supply systems. In September, a 4-year-old girl from Lincoln City, Oregon, died, a 3-year-old girl from Lynden, Washington, died and a 5-year-old Tacoma boy was hospitalized after they were infected with a strain that can lead to kidney failure. In 1999, about 1,000 people fell ill near Albany, New York, after consuming food and beverages containing water from a well that was contaminated. An elderly man and a child died. (Reporting by Victoria Cavaliere; Editing by Cynthia Johnston, Toni Reinhold)