E. Coli Found in Plainfield Water Supply, Village Under Boil Order
UPDATE (5:57 p.m.) — Plainfield School District 202 says school may be cancelled on Monday due to the water situation. Parents should prepare for that as a possibility.
Also, those in Plainfield but who pay the City of Joliet for their water are NOT affected, according to the Joliet Police Department’s Facebook page.
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The Following is a press release found on the Village of Plainfield’s website.
DRINKING WATER ALERT
The Village of Plainfield’s water is contaminated with E. coli.
BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING
E. Coli bacteria were found in the water supply on Wednesday, September 8, 2021. These bacteria can make
you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.
What should I do?
• DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for 3-5
minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for
drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling
kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
• E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or
animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other
symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely
compromised immune systems.
• The symptoms above can result from many causes other than being caused by organisms in drinking
water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.
People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
What happened? What is being done?
Bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source (for example,
following heavy rains). It can also happen due to a break in the distribution system (pipes), a failure in the water
treatment process, or through a cross-connection. In an effort to bring our system back into compliance:
• The Village’s water supplier, Illinois American Water, has been notified and they will investigate the
water source supply.
• All Plainfield water towers and the ground storage tank will be inspected this weekend.
• We will flush hydrants within the system.
• Extensive sampling will occur until the boil order is lifted. This boil order will be in place until two sets of
40 samples are determined satisfactory. We will inform you when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate
resolving the problem within the next few days.
For more information, please contact Allen Persons at (815) 436-3577 or 14400 S. Coil Plus Drive, Plainfield, IL
60544. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe
Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have
received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).
This notice is being sent to you by the Village of Plainfield.
Water System ID #1970800 Distributed 9/10/21