Boil Water Order Lifted for Caribou

CARIBOU, Maine (WAGM) -

***UPDATE*** - 3:52 PM September 15, 2023

The boil water order issued by the Caribou Utilities District on September 14 has been terminated effective immediately. Testing has confirmed the water is safe to drink, make ice cubes, washing foods, brushing teeth or any other activity involving the consumption of water, and meets or exceeds all Safe Drinking Water Act regulations.

***CLARIFICATION*** - 1:40 PM September 15, 2023

Hugh Kirkpatrick, General Manager of Caribou Utilities District told WAGM that results of routine monthly water tests taken Tuesday came back on Thursday as positive for E.coli.

***UPDATE*** - 1:35 PM September 14, 2023

Hugh Kirkpatrick, General Manager of Caribou Utilities District told WAGM that two days ago during routine monthly water tests a sample came back positive for E.coli. Kirkpatrick went on to state that he is fairly confident the positive test was a result of an error during sample collection, and followed procedure by issuing the Boil Water Order as a precaution. Additional samples have been sent to a lab in Newport for further testing, Kirkpatrick states he expects the results to be in sometime Friday.

The U.S. CDC states that symptoms of an E.coli infection may vary from person to person, but often include stomach cramps, diarrhea (often bloody), and vomiting. Folks may start to feel sick 3 to 4 days after drinking something that contains the bacteria. Most infections begin clearing up between 5 and 7 days, however there is the risk of life-threatening complications. For more information please visit: https://www.cdc.gov/ecoli/index.html

Consumers of the Caribou Utilities District are being directed to boil all water for at least one minute before consuming the water in any way, such as drinking, making ice cubes, washing foods, brushing teeth, etc. This order is in effect until further notice.

People with questions should call 207-496-0911 to speak with Hugh A. Kirkpatrick or contact the State of Maine Drinking Water Program at 287-2070 during normal business hours.