Hattiesburg, Mississippi – The City of Hattiesburg’s boil water notice has been lifted after two consecutive days of follow-up samples produced satisfactory results with no evidence of bacteria, including e-coli contamination.

“We are grateful to our water customers for their patience and understanding as we worked through the regulatory testing set forth by the Mississippi State Department of Health,” said Alan Howe, director of Water and Sewer. “Two consecutive days of clear testing confirms that issues with the original affected sample were isolated to that specific sample site.”

The advisory had been in effect since the city received notice from the Mississippi State Department of Health on Friday, December 11 that one of 50 samples during its monthly screening tested positive for e-coli.

Although the system tested free and clear of contamination, the Mississippi State Department of Health advises the following for using water after the notice is lifted:

• Flush faucets for a total of 10 minutes to introduce system water throughout house plumbing.
• Discard any drinks, ice, food, etc, made during the boil water notice.
• Rewash any food or drink contact items (knives, forks, plates, etc.) with cleared system water.
• Check water filters (in faucets, refrigerators and elsewhere) and replace if necessary.
• Do not use water from your hot water heater for drinking until several exchanges of the tank have occurred.
• Run the dishwasher through a cycle or two before washing dishes.

Additionally, any customer using water for the first time in several days will want to run taps for a period of time before using it for cooking or drinking. This will help to remove stagnant water from plumbing systems and bring in fresh water from water mains.

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