(Santa Fe, NM) –The New Mexico Environment Department’s (NMED) Drinking Water Bureau is lifting the “Boil Water Advisory” for the Roosevelt County Water Utility Authority (WUA) located around Portales, New Mexico in Roosevelt County.

NMED issued the advisory on August 9, 2013 after bacteriological contamination that exceeded the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for E. coli was discovered in drinking water at the water system. The advisory only applied to customers served by the Roosevelt County WUA and did not extend to any of the other surrounding water systems or communities.

Consumers of water at the Roosevelt County WUA were advised to boil the water for five minutes before drinking, cooking, dishwashing and bathing. The presence of E. coli in water indicates that the water may have been in contact with sewage or animal wastes, and could contain disease-causing organisms. Most strains of E. coli are harmless and live in the intestines of healthy humans and animals. However, a positive test for E. coli in the drinking water supply had indicated the presence of dangerous strains of E. coli or other disease-causing organisms. These types of organisms could cause severe gastrointestinal illness and, in rare cases, death. Children, the elderly and immuno-compromised individuals are at an increased risk for illness.

The NMED Drinking Water Bureau provided technical assistance to the water system and determined that adequate disinfection (chlorination) was provided at a level that mitigates the potential threat to public health. The Roosevelt County WUA will maintain a regular monitoring schedule to ensure adequate levels of disinfection, as well as continue to test the distribution system for the presence of E. coli.

For more information, call NMED Communications Director Jim Winchester at (505) 231-8800 or Brandi Garcia, Drinking Water Bureau Compliance Officer, at (575) 391-0464.