Salmonella in Water Supply Sickens Dozens in Colorado Town

Citizens of Alamosa, Colorado are under a “bottled water” advisory today after salmonella was discovered in the city’s water supply.

A spokeswoman for the city said residents may boil the water and use it, but for drinking and cooking, they are to use bottled water instead. Water should come to a rolling boil and it needs to only boil for 15 seconds before it’s sterile.

Everyone will eventually be using bottled water when the city flushes its supply and the cleaning could take up to a week. Boiling water will not be an option as the supply is cleaned.

At least 33 cases of salmonella have been confirmed in Alamosa and another 46 are pending.

Having the faucets turned off is going to prove very difficult for Alamosans. Bottled water will need to be used for such common daily activities like brushing teeth, cooking, drinking and making any food.

Dishwashing machines, however, will be okay as they sanitize the water sufficiently. But that’s really the only convenience that’s allowed, outside of bathing as long as you don’t consume the water during the shower or bath.

Most restaurants will not be able to operate in Alamosa unless they’re approved by the public health board there. Residents are being encouraged to use only pre-packaged foods.

The source of the contamination is not yet known.