Bacteria detection prompts 3-day boil order in Amersfoort; Grocery shelves emptied
A large number of people living in Amersfoort may have to quickly change their Christmas plans, as the enterococcus bacteria was detected in the drinking water system in one part of the city. An alert and a boil order was issued early Wednesday morning, and is unlikely to be resolved before 5 p.m. on Saturday, prompting a run on bottled water and other groceries at area supermarkets.
The boil order was mainly issued to about a thousand households between Hogeweg and Beethovenweg, roughly extending east from Flierbeek to the Valleikanaal. Others in the surrounding neighborhoods may also be affected. A similar discovery of the enterococcus bacteria prompted Vitens to issue boil orders for 125,000 clients in the Utrecht area just last month.
It is obviously frustrating for the people living in that area, a Vitens spokesperson told AD. Problems with the water system are already annoying, but it is "very inconvenient" considering it will continue over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and most of Saturday.
"The reason this will take a few days is that we have to completely flush the pipe network and then take samples to ensure the bacteria are gone," the spokesperson said. Two clean samples are needed to lift the boil order. "We're taking the first sample today, but it needs to be cultured for 48 hours to obtain a reliable result. So we won't know until Friday at the earliest."
The results of the second sample will not be ready until Saturday, meaning those in the affected area will have to continue to boil their water for three minutes before drinking it, washing food with it, or using it to brush teeth. "Boiling kills bacteria and viruses, making it safe again," the company said on its website. Those with health vulnerabilities, such as pregnant women, young children, elderly people, and individuals with pre-existing conditions, are typically advised to be overly cautious in similar incidents.
For residents living on the streets that make up the city's Randenbroek district, the unexpected and unwanted Christmas surprise sent many people racing to area grocery stores. Bottled water flew off the shelves at the Albert Heijn supermarket location on Euterpeplein right when the store opened, according to the Telegraaf.
While people living in the homes within the affected postcodes total around 2,000, about 12,000 people reside in the area. One Randenbroek resident said she was frustrated that the individual apartment units in her complex were not notified directly by Vitens. "We find that very strange. You cook with it, you clean with it. That does give us a feeling of unreliability," she told the Telegraaf.
Tiny Vaartjes also lives in the area, but only learned about the boil order when arriving at the store. "I'm stocking up on extra bottles now, just to be safe," she said.
