Norwell residents remain under a boil water order despite encouraging test results, with town officials reporting Friday that the first round of follow-up testing found no E. coli. A second round of state-required testing is expected to be completed Saturday morning before the advisory can be lifted.
According to the town's latest update, every testing site across Norwell returned negative results during the first round of follow-up sampling. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection requires two consecutive rounds of successful testing before a boil water order can be rescinded, meaning residents should continue boiling tap water before drinking, cooking or brushing their teeth until the state gives its approval.
The town also announced Friday morning that bottled water distribution would continue through noon at Norwell High School, with any remaining bottled water being moved afterward to the Public Safety Building at 53 Washington St.
During Wednesday night's Select Board meeting, held hours after the boil water order was issued, Town Administrator Chad Lovett explained how routine water testing led to the advisory. A sample collected Monday from one of the town's routine testing locations produced a potential positive result. As required by DEP regulations, additional samples were collected from the same location, as well as upstream and downstream. Those follow-up samples confirmed the presence of E. coli, triggering the boil water order.
Lovett said the town immediately assembled staff from the Water Department, Health Department, Highway Department, Police Department, Fire Department and Town Hall to coordinate the response, while also bringing in a public relations firm to help communicate information to residents. Officials also began working to secure bottled water and coordinate distribution throughout town.
"Do not drink the water," Lovett said. "If you're going to use the water, you have to boil it."
Health Agent Kayla Smith said the Water Department immediately began flushing the water system and expanding testing across town.
"They're going to be testing all 27 points. So it's not just one point. They're making sure that all the water in Norwell is safe," Smith said.
Officials also addressed questions about how the contamination may have occurred. Smith said the town's water system has multiple safeguards in place, but bacterial contamination can still happen.
"Unfortunately, yes," Smith said when asked whether E. coli can sometimes enter a water system despite those protections. "So they have all the barriers in place to protect, but it all just depends. So unfortunately it's just a situation that happened to our town."
Lovett said the positive sample came from an outdoor testing spigot in front of the central fire station and emphasized that the contamination did not appear to be widespread throughout the distribution system.
"I don't believe that it's affecting all the points," Lovett said. "So likely it'll be an issue with that spigot." He noted that the other routine testing locations did not return positive results.
Lovett noted that the town brought in a PR company to help get the word out. Throughout the emergency, town officials have used multiple methods to keep residents informed, including emergency phone calls and text messages, updates on the town website, social media and local media outlets. Lovett said those same channels will be used when the boil water order is eventually lifted.
"The same way that we give the order, do not drink. We will let you know that it is safe to drink," Lovett said, adding that updates would continue to be posted on the town's website and shared with media partners.
Restaurants throughout Norwell have also been contacted by the Health Department and instructed to either use boiled or bottled water or temporarily close if they cannot safely operate. Officials reminded residents to discard ice made with tap water and to use boiled water for pets as well as household consumption.
Town officials said the second round of testing is expected to be completed Saturday morning. If those results are also negative and confirmed by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, residents will be notified through the town's emergency alert system, website and local media that the boil water order has been lifted.