People drinking from stream water or roof tanks are being advised to boil the water first. The warning comes after a survey of rural drinking water in the Franklin district, near Auckland, found the potentially lethal organism verotoxigenic Escherichia. coli (VTEC). The bug was isolated from a household water tank that draws water from the Mauku Stream. From this scientists are assuming VTEC could be in other streams, particularly where farm animals are kept. GPs should remind patients living in those environments to adequately disinfect or boil all water for three minutes prior to use. Councils today have reassured the public that water from main supplies are okay.
