UPDATED (10/23): Water ruled safe following further tests
Amherst water has been ruled safe and can be continued to be used and consumed as normal, according to a press release released by the town at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
“I want to thank the extraordinarily talented Town of Amherst team that responded to this potential public health emergency,” said Town Manager John Musante, as quoted in the release.
Tests yesterday tested positive for coliform and E. Coli bacteria. Additional tests were required in the contaminated areas to find out if a “Boil Water Order” was needed. No such order will be passed.
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FRIDAY: The town of Amherst has issued a “Water Quality Advisory” after three of 22 water samples tested positive for total coliform and E. Coli bacteria today. The town’s water system also supplies the UMass campus.
The samples were taken as a part of routine testing and public health officials are conducting further tests to determine whether a “Boil Water Order” is needed.
Results of the tests and the officials’ decision will become available Saturday afternoon, said a campus alert.
The university has a campus-wide precautionary plan in place if a “Boil Water Order” is called for. The plan will supply members of the campus with bottled water and hand sanitizer as well as instructions on how to minimize any health risks.
More information about the water testing can be found at www.amherstma.gov.
John • Oct 24, 2010 at 2:37 am
Ed Cutting = Larry Kelly
Megan • Oct 23, 2010 at 2:30 pm
You certainly love to complain about UMass, Ed. Why in the world are you still there? Worried that having nothing to complain about might make your life seem empty?
Johnny Jay • Oct 23, 2010 at 2:06 am
Ed, who’s fault is it that you don’t get the messages?
1) You didn’t get the email because YOU CHOSE to set UMass emails to spam. We all get a lot of emails from UMass, but guess what? There is a such thing called a delete button!
2) Text messages (the University didn’t send out a text, however…) is your fault as well. Again, YOU CHOSE to refuse to give your number to the University.
It seems to me that you are the one who isn’t allowing UMass to communicate with you. Let me ask you a question…If there was (God forbid) an emergency situation on campus, and you got hurt, you would be the first in line to attempt to sue the school, DESPITE them providing MULTIPLE forms of communication, and you not taking advantage of them.
Ed Cutting • Oct 22, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Perhaps most telling in all of this is that I learned about this from Larry Kelly’s Blog. That the emergency announcement never reached me until after I saw his blog.
The email arrived, but because so MUCH spam comes from UMass — no fewer than three copies of the same email from career services about distributing candy on Friday — or something involving candy — that I have abandoned the university address and check it weekly.
And as to the cell phone text alert system — if it weren’t for the fact that the Fascist ACT folks had so badly violated my civil rights in 2009, the university might have my number, but right now I would rather give it to Brad DeFlumeri.
And I have spent the evening washing clothes and exactly whom am I supposed to ask (at 11:37 pm) if the clothes are safe to wear at 8 AM tomorrow morning? Hint: I know that running them in a hot drier will kill all the fecal bacteria (that is what E-coli is, bacteria from FECES) but how many other folk know that?
But the larger issue — the emergency notice did NOT get out because of other aspects of the corrupt anti-student student affairs administration. And yes, my name is on this.
Welcome to UMass…..
Larry Kelley • Oct 22, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Good excuse to drink beer.
http://www.umass.edu/loop/lookingback/articles/20732.php