RYE — Town Administrator Matthew Scruton, Select Board Chair Philip D. Winslow, Water Superintendent Arik Jones and the Rye Water District Commission would like to provide the following update to residents and community members regarding the ongoing efforts re-establish clean water for the Rye Water District.
As of Monday, Oct. 24, sample sites are at an acceptable range of chlorination and system re-testing has begun. Consistent testing is required by New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services before an “all clear” is declared. The boil water will be lifted once sampling proves to be a consistent negative with appropriate levels meeting the State standards. There continues to be zero cases of E.coli-related illness in Rye, according to public health officials.
“We urge that this is still the start of a much longer process,” Superintendent Jones said. “While our first goal is to clean the water and lift the boil water order, our focus also is on investigating the cause of the contamination and taking whatever actions are necessary to ensure clean, safe drinking water moving forward.”
The Rye Water District follows strict standard water operating procedures to ensure the safety of residents and community members. By adhering to these procedures and strict testing of the water supply, officials were able to identify the contamination and notify water customers quickly and without delay.
Rye Water District and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services are actively investigating the cause of the contamination and are looking at every and all possible factors. While no clear and obvious cause of the contamination has been identified, the investigation remains active and on going.
According to the CDC, a number of factors can contribute to E.coli contamination in drinking water, including agriculture practices (especially from cattle), agricultural runoff, defective or missing backflow preventers in irrigation systems, defective or broken septic systems, or storm water runoff.
Residents can take a number of steps to protect the public water supply, including:
- Regularly inspecting septic systems and making repairs where necessary;
- Private well owners should inspect or replace well caps or dug well covers where indicated;
- Keeping animals/livestock away from waterways, including streams.
The Town of Rye has treated this event with the utmost urgency. The Town has received significant mutual aid assistance in the forms of equipment, staff, and other resources. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services has been with the town since day one, and mutual aid partners from the Portsmouth Water Division and Rochester Department of Public Works have been providing assistance.
The Portsmouth Water Department has provided additional assistance, including helping on scene with flushing and providing its dichlorination equipment to ensure that water flushed from the system from fire hydrants would not adversely affect the environment.
Mutual aid efforts have allowed Rye Water’s staff to solely focus on treating systems diligently and effectively.
Water distribution for residents affected by the boil water order began Thursday, Oct. 20. As of Monday, approximately 1,530 cases of water have been distributed to customers who receive Water District service.
Since implementing the boil water order, at the direction of the Select Board, the Town’s leadership team – Town Administrator Scruton, Finance Director/Assistant Town Administrator Rebecca Bergeron, Dr. Snow, Police Chief Kevin Walsh, Fire Chief Mark Cotreau, and Public Works Director Jason Rucker – and Superintendent Jones have been in constant communication, meeting daily to mitigate this situation as soon as possible.
The leadership team also has coordinated with School Administrative Unit 50, which oversees Rye Elementary School, and businesses to ensure they are operating safely and able to remain open.
About the Rye Water District
Rye residents and businesses receive water from one of four sources: Rye Water District (RWD), Aquarian Water, Portsmouth Water, and private wells. The Rye Water District is a private non-profit municipality, and one of three Districts serving the Town of Rye. The Rye Water District provides public water service to the majority of Rye residents.
The Rye Water District is governed by a three-member Board of Commissioners who oversee the Rye Water District and are each elected to a three-year term. The Board of Commissioners hold regular public meetings and have annual meetings for budget and other governance issues, independent of the Town. The employees of the Rye Water District are not Town employees.
The Rye Water District Board of Commissioners and employees are committed to ensuring the safety of the district’s drinking water and regularly consult with NHDES, the Town and other communities. Through their diligence and commitment to following strict guidelines and procedures, the Rye Water District ensures that customers reliably receive clean and safe drinking water and that the water system is monitored and maintained using high safety standards.
The Rye Leadership Team’s daily meeting to discuss ending the water boil order and updates for residents. From left, Fire Chief Mark Cotreau, N.H. Department of Environmental Services Water Engineer Jen Mates, Police Chief Kevin Walsh, Water Superintendent Arik Jones, Finance Director/Assistant Town Administrator Rebecca Bergeron, Rye Health Officer Dr. Gail Snow, Public Works Director Jason Rucker, and Town Administrator Matthew Scruton. (Photo courtesy Town of Rye) Portsmouth Water providing mutual aid to Rye Water District during chlorination flushing process. (Rye Water Department)