NAVASOTA, Texas (KBTX) – The City of Navasota has announced that E. coli bacteria was found in the water supply Friday. The city has isolated the water well, they plan to disinfect the well on Nov. 22 and will flush the well and resample it on Nov. 23. Navasota officials said they anticipate the problem to be resolved by Nov. 24.

The bacteria can make people sick with short-term health effects like diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. It also may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Friday night, the City Utility Supervisor said the water is safe and no boiling is required. In a Facebook post Matthew Julian wrote, “The water is safe to drink. No boiling is required. The sample was collected from a raw water well (prior to disinfection). The water is treated with chlorine at the water treatment facility to kill any bacteria that may be present. The water well has been isolated until it can be disinfected and re-sampled. According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the water does not have to be boiled before consumption.”

Written by Adrienne DeMoss