Boil water advisory is over in Ephrata

The boil water advisory in Ephrata Borough has ended.

Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8.

According to Borough Manager Karen Gerhart, the water samples collected on July 23 and 24 had acceptable results and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has approved lifting the advisory.

Gerhart says residents can now resume normal use of tap water.

PREVIOUS ARTICLE

Borough Manager Karen Gerhart told News 8 that results from Thursday’s samples came back negative.

Results from fresh samples taken Friday will be returned on Saturday.

On July 7, two routine samples were collected, which tested positive for E. coli, with follow-up check samples testing negative. On July 21, an additional sample was collected, which also tested positive for E-Coli and Ephrata issued a system-wide advisory.

Two days of samples all being negative will meet the threshold to lift the precautionary boil water advisory, said Gerhart.

A water treatment systems company in Lancaster said that since the advisory was issued, it has received a lot of calls from residents and businesses affected.

“We’re getting a lot of questions, basically sort of based on customers that have things like reverse osmosis systems or UV lights in their house. Even though they’re on municipal water, if the water goes through that, is the water still safe to drink? Typically speaking, with reverse osmosis, those systems are independently tested to be 99% effective against E. coli, said Mike Miller with Miller and Sons Salt and Water Conditioning Inc.

Miller also said UV lights are rated as 99% effective against E. coli.

He said E. Coli does not naturally occur in a water system; it happens after some sort of cross contamination.