Park Rapids water supply contaminated with E. coli
On Saturday, residents of Park Rapids were warned to boil their water before use after it was discovered on Friday that the city's water supply has been contaminated with E. coli.
Although the cause of the contamination has not been determined, officials believe that work on a highway construction project may be to blame.
Initial findings show that the E. coli is not coming from the city's wells, but from the distribution system. The city began a chlorine flush on Saturday morning, but are asking residents to boil their water until further notice, most likely for the next five to seven days.
After meeting with health officals, the City Coucil and city staff have decided to permanently chlorinate the city's water supply.