Boil-Water Order Lifted

State health officials Monday lifted a boil-water order that was imposed after contamination was detected in the water system in Reardan, Wash.

The order was lifted after water tests completed Saturday and Sunday indicated the water was safe, said Pat McCaffrey, a Spokane-based water-quality technician for the Department of Health.

No special precautions were recommended for the town’s 482 residents, she said.

The boil order was imposed last Thursday after routine tests detected the presence of E. coli, a broad class of bacteria. Authorities were unsure if the water contained E. coli O157:H7, a strain that can sometimes lead to fatal illness if ingested.

The town, about 25 miles west of Spokane, is served by a deep well outside town and a smaller backup well.