SCITUATE, Mass. — Scituate residents say they are still dealing with the fallout from E. coli found in the town’s water sample, days after a boil water advisory was lifted.
A state lab detected E. coli in a water sample collected Tuesday, and the town was notified Wednesday. The town issued an advisory Friday afternoon, telling residents to boil water before use or rely on bottled water.
A second set of samples tested negative for E. coli but positive for total coliform. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection later lifted the advisory Sunday.
Town officials said they followed required protocols and waited for a form letter from the state before sending emergency alerts. But, residents said the timing and communication created confusion, particularly after schools were notified earlier.
Officials also acknowledged apparent issues with reverse 911 calls reaching homes and said they are exploring ways to prevent similar communication problems in the future.
Bottled water was distributed to residents over the weekend in Scituate Harbor. Resident Tom Wall said he waited 37 minutes in line and saw people behind him turn around because they could not wait any longer.
“Kind of scary,” Wall said about the advisory.
Jennifer Ward said she learned about the boil water order late Friday after seeing a sign in town. She had already been using the water and rushed home to stop the running water for her family and three dogs, she told Boston 25 Thursday.
“There was one dog bowl I forgot to change at the time,” Ward said.
She said she came downstairs Saturday morning to a mess and later took all three dogs to the veterinarian.
“It was like a warzone. It was as if they had all exploded. It was just awful,” Ward said. “We ended up bringing them to the vet and they were diagnosed with E. coli, all three of them.”
Ward said the veterinary visit cost about $1,500 and that the dogs were put on antibiotics.
“It’s absurd and unacceptable,” Ward said. “We pay a phenomenal amount of money in both our water bills and our tax bills in this town to have this kind of problem.”
Another resident, Meghan Farrar, said her 3-year-old daughter was sick throughout the weekend. Farrar said the child was “clutching her stomach, doubled over” and that it was painful for her. Farrar said she described the symptoms to the child’s pediatrician, who said they lined up with E. coli.
“I never got any official communication from the town,” Farrar said.
In a letter, Scituate Town Manager James Boudreau wrote, “We regret the anxiety and inconvenience this situation caused for families across town. Please rest assured that safeguarding our community’s public health and drinking water remains our absolute highest priority.”
A Select Board member on Facebook said the water superintendent followed Massachusetts DEP protocols for sampling and testing. According to the statement, the town had two E. coli detections at one location and a coliform detection at a second location on a third day, triggering the boil water warning. The statement also said email alerts and Facebook posts were sent once the state letter arrived, while eight signs were posted around town.
Community members said they want a better way of receiving emergency information than social media. Town leaders said they are exploring ways to make sure the problem does not happen again.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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