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Water System in the South Summit city is contaminated

Patrick Parkinson, Of the Record staff

Oakley residents are being told to boil their water after testing along State Road 32 showed that bacteria has contaminated drinking water in the city. The Summit County Health Department issued the boil order Wednesday afternoon and it was still in effect on Friday.

"People should boil their water until it tests OK," said Brent Ovard, deputy director of the Summit County Health Department. "It may just be for a few days."

Water in Oakley’s public system is contaminated with coliform bacteria, Ovard said. Dangerous fecal matter was present in some of the water tested this week. Health officials have conducted many tests in Oakley and several samples have showed contamination.

The contamination might have come during flooding this week in Oakley if water pipes in the town were damaged.

"We’re going to see if we’ve got something in the system or if it’s coming from the water source," Ovard said.

Those connected to Oakley’s public water system should boil their tap water before drinking it. Bottled water can be picked up at Oakley Town Hall.

The feces of warm-blooded animals are rich with coliform, according to Ovard. The E. coli poisoning could cause diarrhea, intestinal disorders and more serious health conditions, he said, adding that boil orders in Summit County are rare.

"I can’t think back to when we’ve had to do that," Ovard said.

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