UPDATE: Tap water boiling advice still in place in reduced part of Herlev

Residents in a small area of Greater Copenhagen district Herlev are still advised to to boil water before using it for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth.

In a November 1st update, Herlev Municipality said its recommendation for residents to boil water remains effective at “Herlev Hospital and in the area located between [roads] Hjortespringvej, Vindebyvej, Tvedvangen and Ettehavevej/Malurthaven.

“The water boiling recommendation ceases in the remaining part of Herlev,” it said.

An updated map published by water and energy company Hofor shows the area still affected by the recommendation.

Residents in the marked area of Herlev should boil water before using as of November 2nd. Image: Hofor

Herlev Municipality first said on Thursday last week that water should not be consumed straight from the tap after levels of E. coli bacteria were identified.

Water used for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth should be boiled vigorously for two minutes beforehand, a press release said.

The advice to boil water before using has now been lifted in some parts of the municipal area.

“Water can once again be drunk in north Herlev, but remember to rinse all faucets thoroughly before using the water,” Herlev Municipality said in an earlier statement.

Tests run by energy and water company Hofor found the water to be clean in several parts of the municipality, according to the statement.

People in the areas where the advice still applies should continue to boil water until further notice, the municipality said in the statement.

“New samples are taken every day and we assess daily whether we can lift the recommendation, but we cannot yet say when it will be,” it said.

Those no longer affected by the advice should “strongly” run all taps and shower heads (including outdoors ones) for 10 minutes before using the water again, the statement said.

This may result in brown water due to loosening of iron in the pipes caused by heavy use in a short period. Should you experience this, continue to let the water run until it is clear and do not use the brown water, Herlev Municipality wrote.

Residents in nearby Helsingør Municipality are no longer advised to boil water, local water board Helsingør Forsyning confirmed on Monday, Helsingør had been affected by a similar problem at the end of last week.

In a statement posted to its website, Helsingør Forsyning wrote that water can be drunk again with the boiling advisory there now lifted.

“The Danish Patient Safety Authority and the water authority in Helsingør Municipality have lifted the previous recommendation to boil water which applied in most of the municipality,” the statement read.

“Customers can therefore drink the water again,” it said.

In a Facebook post, the authority confirmed that this applies for cooking, drinking and brushing teeth with the water.

The advice was lifted after “analysis of new samples taken on [Thursday] at Hellebæk waterworks and from customers did not show traces of either E. Coli or Coliform bacteria,” it said.

Residents who consumed the water prior to seeing the alerts need not be unduly concerned, the Herlev Municipality said in a previous statement.

“There is only a small risk you will become sick if you have drunk the water. So far, only small amounts of bacteria have been found. But boil the water before you drink it from now on,” it said.

The cause of the contaminations remains unspecified.