FARMINGTON − State officials have issued a boil water advisory for part of the Lee Hammond Water System in San Juan County after bacteriological contamination was confirmed in the system's drinking water earlier this week.

According to an Aug. 5 news release from the New Mexico Environment Department's Drinking Water Bureau, the presence of E. coli was confirmed in the system's water on Aug. 4. The advisory applies only to the 427 users of the system who live east of U.S. Highway 550 and south of the San Juan River, and not any of the other water systems in the area.

The notice was still live on the water system's website the morning of Aug. 7.

The Lee Hammond Water Systems serves more than 8,800 users overall and is a community public water system. The residents affected by the order are advised to boil their water for three minutes before drinking; making coffee, tea or other drinks; making ice; cooking; washing fruits and vegetables; using the water to feed a baby; brushing their teeth, or providing drinking water for pets.

State regulations require system officials to notify their consumers of the contamination finding within 24 hours after they are notified of confirmation of the violation, the new release states.

Call Wayne Jeffs of the Drinking Water Bureau at 505-469-7457 for more information.

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