Belmont Village water system 'boil order' may remain in effect till week end

The ‘Boil Order’ put into effect late Sunday by the Belmont Board of Selectmen and the N.H. Department of Environmental Services (DES) for the 500 plus residential and commercial town water system accounts will remain in place until at least Thursday evening.

The area affected by the order is the Belmont Village portion of the water system. The area includes sections of Rte. 140, both east and west of Rte. 106, the commercial area along Rte. 106/Laconia Road from the Main Street intersection on the north to the Concord Road intersection on the South, and the areas on both sides Main Street and Concord Road through the town center.

The town water system customers not affected by the ‘Boil Order’ are located in the commercial area extending from the Belknap Mall at the intersection of the Daniel Webster Highway and the Rts. 3/11 by-pass to the Tilton town line.

Also, the order does not apply to those commercial and residential properties served by private wells or other private water supplies.

While the exact source of the E. coli contamination that was discovered in the village district water supply has yet to be specifically located, it is suspected that the source is in or related to the new distribution system being constructed in the Pleasant Valley area north of the Elementary School.

According to Ron Cormier, chair of the Board of Selectmen, the water in the system has been tested frequently throughout the construction period that started in early August. “DPW Director and Water Superintendent Jim Fortin decided, once the system was ready to go live, to do random testing throughout the village district. The E. coli was discovered in some of those randomly selected samples.”

“Every resource was utilized to get the information out to the affected water system customers. The DES was on hand Monday to help us with the notification to individual homeowners. Police officers and firefighters were pressed into service to make sure every household was aware of the problem and understood the importance of boiling their water. To the best of my knowledge,” Cormier continued, “there has not been a single illness as a result of the contaminated water.”

Cormier went on to explain that the ‘boil order’ would stay in effect until at least two samples taken on successive days are tested free of the bacteria. “We will be looking for clean samples from nine different locations throughout the system,” he said.

He also indicated that the primary area of concern is the new water main piping in the Pleasant Valley area. There has been speculation that a change in the water flow or a transition from older water mains to new pipe might be contributing to the problem.

“The samples that have been taken close to the source of the village district water (south of Pout Pond) have been clean. Thus,” Cormier said, “we have been concentrating on the new piping in the Pleasant Valley area.”

Cormier went on to thank the residents of the village area for their cooperation. “Understandably, they have had questions, but they have been very supportive. We know it is a hardship, but I hope they continue to understand the importance of not getting complacent about boiling the water they drink or use for cooking.”

A bulletin from DES indicates that boiling the water is the best way to ensure that it is free of the E. coli contamination. The water should be brought to and kept at a boil for at least two minutes. After cooling, it should be refrigerated in clean containers. Add a pinch of salt per quart of water to improve the rather flat taste of the boiled water. An alternative to boiling, according to the DES bulletin, is adding 1/8th of a teaspoon of bleach (common household bleach containing 5.25-percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. Bleaches containing perfume, dyes, or other additives should not be used.

Belmont residents who have questions about the ‘Boil Order’ should call Belmont Code Enforcement Officer Steve Dalton at town hall. The number is 603-267-8300 Extension 11.