A boil water warning was sent out to the residents of Lewis recently after bacteria was discovered in a sample taken from a reservoir on Lewis during routine testing.

Residents were warned to boil their water after traces of E Coli were found in a sample taken from Tolsta Village Service Reservoir which serves 218 homes in the east of the island.

Scottish Water alerted NHS Western Isles and thereafter advised all locals to boil all their tap water before using it to cook with or to drink. According to them, once the water has been boiled, it is perfectly safe to use for Drinking, preparing food (including ice cubes and salads), preparing babies’ feeds and disinfecting feeding equipment, cleaning teeth, pet food and drink, and washing open wounds, provided it has been allowed to first cool.

Water can still be used for personal hygiene such as bathing and showering, washing the dishes, doing the laundry, and flushing the toilet.

Residents have also been supplied with bottled water while the situation, which they expected to have under control very quickly, was ongoing.

A Scottish Water spokesman said: “Our investigations show that the potable water coming from the treatment works and to the other parts of the network is fine and that this is a localised failure associated with this tank.

“However, we are taking this precautionary approach to the customers being supplied from it.

“We are continuing to investigate the cause of this failure, Tolsta Service Reservoir is being inspected and further sampling and laboratory analysis will be taking place.”

Residents should boil water for drinking, allow it to cool and then store it in clean containers in a fridge or any other cool spot.

Locals were advised to check Scottish Water’s website for updates.

Get bottled water coolers and plumbed water coolers from Living-Water.

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