The Vancouver Island Health Authority is telling people in Port McNeill to boil their water before they drink it, cook with it, or use it to brush their teeth.
That’s because they’ve found trace amounts of E. coli bacteria in the town’s water.
And that’s bad news.
There’s never a good time for an advisory but a heatwave is an especially bad time. Just when people need to make sure they drink enough water.
Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria can make people really sick, and it’s especially dangerous for kids and old people.
E. coli infections can give you diarrhea and vomiting. In really bad cases, there can even be blood in your diarrhea or vomit. That’s when you really need to see a doctor.
To keep you and your family safe, boil water for at least a minute to make sure you kill all the bacteria.
E. coli bacteria live naturally in our intestines. Most of them are harmless, but some of them make us ill. They move between people and animals through faeces (more commonly known as poop).
For more information, call the Town Office at (250) 956-3111.
