Warning about coliform bacteria in drinking water

Thousands of households have to boil their water

08/06/2014

Thousands of households in the northern Altmarkkreis Salzwedel have to boil their drinking water for at least one week, as routine tests showed that coli bacteria (echinochia coli) were present in the water samples. About 5,000 households in the northern Altmark region are according to the news agency „dpa“ affected. In the worst case, the coli bacteria could cause gastrointestinal infections with indigestion such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.

The region around the Arendsee (Saxony-Anhalt) with a total of 24 locations is affected by the possible contaminations of drinking water. Here, residents should thoroughly boil water that comes in contact with food or intended for drinking, before use, reports the „dpa“ citing the head of the health department of the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Cornelia Schmidt. The warning is initially valid for at least seven days. Although the coli bacteria can indeed cause serious infections, but according to the message of the Head of Health Administration on the spot no diseases have occurred that could be related to the contaminated drinking water. (Fp)

Picture credits: johnnyb