Boil water notice lifted for Koreatown in Los Angeles following detection of E.coli bacteria

A boil water notice for a two-block area in Koreatown has been lifted, as test results on Thursday show the water in the affected area is safe to drink, after routine testing earlier this week came back positive for E. coli.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued the order on Wednesday after preliminary reports from one water quality testing station in K-town showed E. coli in the water samples.

"It is no longer necessary to boil your tap water or continue using bottled water," LADWP wrote on Thursday afternoon. 

The boil water notice was issued out of an abundance of caution, as trucks delivered bottled water to the neighborhood.  

Jonathan Leung, the director of water quality at DWP, explained that water travels through a large underground water main, then into smaller copper pipes before reaching what's called a "monument." That's the last connection point before the water enters homes and businesses. One of those monuments tested positive for E. coli. 

Officials were optimistic about the issue on Wednesday since the three testing locations before it and the three after it came back clear. This narrowed the problem down to one piece of equipment, not the neighborhood's entire water system. 

Crews set up a temporary bypass around that monument to test the water without it. Once two clean samples taken 24 hours apart cleared, the boil water notice was lifted. 

LADWP said it was not related to the warehouse fire in Boyle Heights, about seven miles away, and no fire-related contaminants were found in the water samples. 

The presence of E. coli in drinking water typically indicates the water was contaminated with sewage or animal feces. Common symptoms of ingesting a pathogenic strain of E. coli include vomiting and diarrhea, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Affected Los Angeles customers are advised to boil water for 1 minute before drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth, or making ice cubes.

The boundaries for the affected area are:

• South Ardmore Avenue to the west
• South Mariposa Avenue to the east
• West 5th Street to the north
• West 6th Street to the south

For further information and updates and the full Boil Water Notice, visit www.LADWP.com/WaterQuality.