MELBOURNE, Fla. – The city of Melbourne has rescinded a critical drinking water warning for 167,000 customers after concerns about E. coli led to a boil water notice being issued.
The city issued the notice after E. coli was detected Thursday in a routine water sample taken from 1037 Ashley Ave. in Indian Harbour Beach.
Recommended Videos
While the positive sample may have resulted from a laboratory error and was only found at one location, health officials stress the importance of taking precautions.
On Saturday, the city said a bacteriological survey showed the water was safe to drink, so it lifted the alert.
E. coli can pose serious health risks, particularly for individuals with weakened immune systems. Boiling water effectively kills bacteria and other harmful organisms.
How is the public notified?
The City of Melbourne will issue a CodeRED (reverse 911) emergency call out, along with providing information to local media and posts on the City’s web site, Facebook and X.
The CodeRED system allows City emergency officials to notify those affected by an incident by their geographic area. Residents and businesses can sign up to receive telephone calls, cell phone calls, texts and/or e-mails. Only authorized officials have access to the CodeRED system. The company will not sell, trade, lease or loan any citizen-supplied information to third parties, so there are no security or privacy concerns.
The CodeRED database contains information obtained from public databases, including regional phone books. Those with unlisted numbers, cell phones or with blocking devices will not receive these emergency calls unless they enroll. Additionally, power outages may affect cordless phones.
For more information about CodeRED and to sign up visit www.melbourneflorida.org/codered
If you need assistance you can call the City’s ECO Division at 321-608-5080 and speak with someone who can register for you.
For general questions about drinking water quality:
Call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.
