The problem was originally anticipated to last seven days. But the boil water advisory remained in effect for residents of Burney, a small, unincorporated town near Redding, from July 12 to July 25.
The presence of E. coli on July 12 indicated the water might be contaminated by human or animal waste, according to the water advisory. Pathogens in these wastes can cause short-term illness, and may pose a greater health risk for more sensitive groups like infants, children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.
Officials with the Burney Water District could not be reached for comment.
On July 14, the Burney Water District added sodium hypochlorite, which is the active ingredient in chlorine bleach, to the water system in order to disinfect it. Three days later they began flushing out the chlorinated water. On July 21, the district said chlorine was still present in the system, even with all of the flushing completed. They changed valves on the distribution system in order to make the process move faster, according to the district.
On Tuesday, after water samples were tested, the Burney Water District canceled the boil water advisory and deemed it once again safe to drink.
