Possible contamination prompts boil-water advisory for 85,000 homes in eastern Utrecht

A boil-water advisory has been issued for about 85,000 households in the eastern part of the province of Utrecht after a contaminated drinking water sample was detected, the Vitens water company confirmed following reports by BNR. The advisory comes as the province has faced multiple similar incidents recently, including earlier advisories in Utrecht and Amersfoort.

Vitens said a polluted sample was found during testing, prompting the precautionary measure. Residents are advised to boil tap water for three minutes before using it for drinking, cooking, or food preparation. The company has not disclosed what substance or bacteria caused the contamination.

It is also not yet clear which specific towns or municipalities in eastern Utrecht are affected. Vitens has not published details on its website, and a company spokesperson said those details would be shared later. “The customers are informed first,” the spokesperson said.

The advisory affects a significant portion of the province and marks another disruption to the drinking water supply in Utrecht. Earlier this month, 125,000 households in the province were placed under a boil-water advisory after intestinal bacteria entered the water system due to damage to the roof of a drinking water storage facility. Vitens later said that incident was linked to “insufficient maintenance” by the company itself.

During the Christmas holiday period, a separate boil-water advisory was also issued in Amersfoort, affecting about 15,000 households.