Residents in parts of Utrecht and surrounding areas have been urged to boil their tap water after enterococci bacteria were discovered in a drinking water storage facility.
Water company Vitens issued the warning, and the advice is expected to remain in place until at least Tuesday, November 4.
The contamination affects around 125,000 homes across multiple towns and neighbourhoods.
Where does this apply to? Residents living in parts of Utrecht, including: Bilthoven, Bosch and Duin, De Bilt, Bunnik, Groenekan, Maarssen, Oud Zuilen, Tienhoven, Westbroek and Zeist
What is the health risk?
Enterococcus bacteria are not considered dangerous for most people. However, they can pose a risk to individuals with weakened immune systems or those with fragile health.
Because of this, Vitens has advised caution while the source of the contamination is investigated and the water supply is tested.
Residents are being told to boil tap water for three minutes before using it for:
- Drinking
- Cooking or food preparation
- Making tea or coffee
- Brushing teeth
Showering and washing hands with unboiled tap water is safe.
The bottled water war
Over the weekend, the boil-water advisory sparked a mini bottled-water gold rush, and local supermarket shelves were cleared.
In some places, not a single bottle is left in sight.
According to RTV Utrecht, both Jumbo and Albert Heijn insist they’re working hard to restock, presumably sending trucks at the speed of Dutch cyclists on e-bikes.
If you want to check whether your specific address is affected, you can go to the Vitens website and enter your postal code.
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