Reading Lifts Boil Water Order, But Residents Advised To Flush Lines

READING (CBS) - The boil water order was lifted in Reading Monday morning, two days after E. coli was found in some samples in town. But residents need to take several steps before they can use their tap water again.

The town said you will still need to flush water lines to clear out any potentially contaminated water. That includes indoor and outdoor faucets, showers, and ice dispensers. You should run your tap water until it feels cold for at least a minute before drinking, brushing your teeth or using it to make food.

You should also flush your hot water pipes for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your hot water tank, and run your dishwasher one time while it's empty.

Because residents will be flushing lines and the town will be flushing hydrants, you may have a lack of water pressure and discolored water.

Preliminary investigations show this was an isolated incident at a specific site and the issue didn't extend across the town's water system.

You can find more information on the town website.