Kamas lifts boil order after E. coli scare
May 27, 2023, 12:02 PM | Updated: May 29, 2023, 4:51 pm
FILE — Water boils on a stove top.
UPDATE: On Monday, Kamas officials said the boil order had been lifted after a second batch of tests cleared the water of E. coli.
Officials are still asking residents to take precautions in their homes, like running all cold water faucet taps for five minutes and disposing of any ice that was used before the order.
For a full list of what to do, you can visit the Summit County health website.
KAMAS CITY, Utah — Residents of Kamas in Utah’s Summit County have been ordered to boil water for all uses.
The order was issued Saturday morning and doesn’t specify why, but in comments on its Facebook page the city said E. coli was found through water testing.
The order states:
Before using water to drink, cook, do dishes, wash hands, or brush teeth, bring water to a rolling boil for 3 minutes. Showering in untreated water is not recommended. It is okay for pets to drink the water.
Typically, after a city finds contaminated water, it continues to test while it flushes the water system until it shows that it is safe and a boil order will be cancelled. There is no estimate for how long the order will remain in place.
Symptoms of E. coli infection, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are different for each person but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea that is often bloody, and vomiting. Some people contract a fever and most people recover in five to seven days. Some infections are mild, others are severe or even life threatening.
Animals can have E. coli infection and appear healthy but can spread it to other animals or humans. CDC says cows, especially calves, can spread the infection, as can goats, sheep and deer.
The mountain city of Kamas is east of Jordanelle State Park. Like many cities, it is dealing with melting snow and high water flows after a record snowpack. The city is in Kamas Valley that has two river crossings with five main creeks in the valley, the largest is Beaver Creek that has flooded.
Kamas City was founded in 1857 by John Simpson. It’s website says there is a population of 1,061.
