The Rye Water District will not meet its goal of lifting a boil water order this weekend, as an environmental engineering company is brought in to help find the source of contamination.

The latest round of testing during the week came back with all district wells clear of E.Coli. The Grove and Parsons well systems, however, still had high levels of coliform bacteria, so the boil water order remains in effect.

How long will the order remain in place? Two consecutive days of testing below the maximum levels of bacteria at all sampling locations are required to lift the order.

The district's next steps include:

  • Continued chlorination treatments per a state Department of Environmental Services mandate. The treatments could continue on a long-term basis, but a decision has not yet been made.
  • The Maine based environmental engineering firm Wright-Pierce has been hired to review the district's response and advise on the next steps. It is a 75-year-old company that provides drinking water, wastewater, and civil infrastructure services throughout the northeast and Florida.
  • The town of Rye plans to host a public meeting and information session about the water issues. The date and time have yet to be determined.

The district also continues to investigate the source of the contamination that forced the boil water order to be put into effect on October 12.

"No clear and obvious cause has been identified," the district said in its latest update.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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