Though the residents were told of the problem yesterday, it is possible that the contamination occurred several days ago
Translated by Thomas Ansell
Residents of two streets in Midlum and Harlingen in Friesland have been warned not to drink their tap water after potentially dangerous bacteria was found in the water system. Though the residents were told about the issue on Sunday, many are worried that the problem occurred on Friday, reports the Omrop Fryslân.
“We don’t really know anything”, says one of the residents, Arjen Mintjes, “on Friday the water was turned off, and we’re worried that we’ve been drinking contaminated water for 3 and a half days.”
It’s not been made clear which bacteria has been found in the water, although the company that is working on the water system, Vitens, has reportedly told media that it is E Coli.
Indeed, residents have reported that there has been chaos with their water system since early April, with various works being delayed several times. In total, 35 households have been affected.
The RIVM says that having E Coli in the water does not necessarily mean that people will become sick, as many of the strains are killed by stomach acid; however some variants can cause serious illness.
The water will be tested every day, and it is expected to be drinkable again tomorrow.
Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash
