Atlantic City tells casino guests, residents boil water, use bottles

ATLANTIC CITY - A drinking-water warning is in effect here "until further notice," according to a notice at the city's website.

"Boil your water before drinking," says the notice. It warns of "an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms."

It said the organisms "include bacteria, viruses, and parasites, which can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches."

The city brought cases of bottled water to senior facilities.

It also distributed bottled water from its fire houses Saturday, but said in a Facebook post just before 7:30 p.m. the supplies had been exhausted.

"Please remember, you can consume the water from your homes after bringing it to a boil for one minute and letting it cool," it said.

The city said it's "acceptable to bathe, wash clothes and do dishes with the water in your homes."

It also said towns neighboring Atlantic City were not affected.

At least one hotel, the Tropicana, responded to the warning by distributing bottled water to its guests.

"We are advising all of our guests that they should not drink and/or use tap water to brush their teeth," it said in a notice to patrons.

"We will be supplying each guest with two bottles of water per day and more if requested," the casino-hotel said.

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"Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation," the city's warning said.

It noted boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in water.

The warning was issued Friday after routine testing showed increased turbidity in a water sample at the city's treatment plant.

Turbidity, or cloudiness, can indicate the presence of organic matter and disease-causing organisms, the city's warning says.

Friday's test showed a turbidity level of 2.5 nephelometric turbidity units, more than twice the standard of one unit.

"We will be flushing the system and sampling for total coliform," the city's warning said.

"We will inform you when turbidity returns to appropriate levels and when you no longer need to boil your water."

Jim Walsh is a senior reporter for the Courier-Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. Email: Jwalsh@cpsj.com.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Test of water sample showed potential for 'disease-causing organisms'