FULTON, NY – At the direction of the county health department, the city of Fulton issued a boil water advisory Saturday in response to levels of bacteria that were found in the city’s water supply. The advisory will extend at least through Tuesday.
According to Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward, a low level of bacteria detected in the Sixth Ward resulted in the advisory.
“It was detected in the northeast quadrant of the city,†Woodward said. “The Health Department wanted the boil water advisory for the entire city until it is remedied.
“I have seen situations like this here before,†Woodward noted. “It happens but it doesn’t happen often.â€ÂÂ
Woodward pointed out that the city managed three water line breaks this past week along different points of Broadway. He said it is likely that may have contributed to the situation.
“I am concerned, but not terribly concerned,†Woodward said. “I can’t imagine the advisory will be in place for very long.â€ÂÂ
Woodward said that he believes the city’s flushing program will help to remedy the concern.
The Fulton Water Department launched its flushing program Oct. 5 in the southeast quadrant of the city. Flushing efforts were set to proceed in a northerly and westerly direction. Under the program, hydrants are opened in an effort to flush sediment from the city’s water lines.
“As we continue to flush the lines, it brings more chlorine into the system,†Woodward said. “The added chlorination should help to treat any bacteria.†The program was slated to be complete by today.
Under the advisory, residents on the city’s water system are advised not to drink water from the tap. Rather, any tap water used for cooking, drinking, washing dishes, brushing teeth or making ice should first be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute before it is used.
Before the health department will lift a boil water advisory, it requires two consecutive days of samples that meet water quality standards.
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I am very disappointed with the way things are being done around here. Yesterday i was unaware of the water advisory , my family had drank from the water and used it for other things. I have a small child and i am 36 weeks pregnant.Now i am constantly monitoring my child for any symtoms of ecolie. I don’t recieve a paper and don’t watch the news often. I had overheard people talking about it and asked them what was going on, if it wasn’t for those people i would NOT have known. I just moved here from buffalo and i have never seen such carelessness . I would have thought if there was an advisory people would get a call as soon as the water advisory went into effect. What does this town plan to do if people start coming down with ecolie,especially children ? It’s very fatal for a child to ingest it, their kidneys could fail and get countless other infections. This town needs to think twice in a situation such as this, where it affect not just adults but our children ,the most fragile of us all. I hope that if this happens again and i hope it doesn’t ,that things will be done differently .
I agree with above comment, this was very poorly handled. Seems to me, it would have been the kind of incident when reverse 911 should have been used. Also, the announcements have not been, and still are not clear as to who is actually involved. City of Fulton only, or surrounding area?
I too am extremely disappointed. We should have at least gotten a note in the mailbox or at the door. I do not think that is unreasonable, especially with the taxes we pay here in Fulton! We are not being told what to look for or anything. I have small children and this is scary. How often are these tests performed? How far back is this a possible issue? When will symptoms show up if affected? These are straight forward questions that need to be answered. I dont watch the news too often and just today drank the water. I am glad others feel the same way I do.
It is amazing how the public was notified of this city wide health risk. Where were our elected city officials on Saturday. How desperate were they to get the word out to the public about water limitations. Each alderman could have made some type of attempt to let people in their ward know what was going on. They have no problem going door to door when in need of signatures for election purposes. When I heard the news “through the grapevine” I tuned in to Channel 10 News and there was nothing available. It would seem to me if they were provided with the information, it could have been displayed across the bottom of the TV (just like school closings). I wonder if we had a real big catastrophe – how would that be handled??? I am also wondering how and why food business in the Fulton area were allowed to remain open?? Where was the Health Department??