Healthy Housing and Environment Team

Web-based Information on MTBE and related topics

HEALTH Advisory About MTBE in Pascoag Drinking Water

ADVISORY FOR FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS

The Pascoag Utility District has detected the gasoline additive, MTBE, in the public drinking water supply. As of today, the levels of MTBE exceed the RI Department of Health Advisory of 40 ppb. When the drinking water contamination is brought under control, the RI Department of Health will provide guidance for returning to normal operations. For additional information, call 222-2750.

What you can't do:

Don't drink the water
Don't cook with this water
Don't use this water for food preparation
Don't make ice with the water.
Don't use this water for soda dispensers
Don't use this water for vending machines
Don't use this water for vegetable and fish/shellfish sprays
Don't use this water in coffee machines
Don't use this water in steam tables

Recommended Alternate Water Sources:

Bottled Water
Water from the Harrisville or any approved public water supply with the following stipulations:
Water transported must be in approved water containers (for example, previously used bottled water container) and must be boiled prior to the following use:
Drinking
Food preparation of ready-to-eat foods

Note: Do not use containers that previously contained milk, food, or chemicals.

Water that is boiled (or baked) in the process of cooking, need not be pre-boiled.

What you can do:

Wash hands
Wash floors
Use in toilets
Use for general cleaning

Ventilation needed for any use of large quantities of water:

Sanitizing in a three bay sink
Automatic dishwashers
Showers

Conserve Water:

No outdoor water use
No laundry machine use; use laundromat (not connected to Pascoag water supply)

Instructions for resuming normal operations:

Turn on all sinks for 5 minutes to flush lines of any MTBE.

For ice machines, vending machines, soda dispensers, discard the first quart of product.

3) Flush all drinking fountains, vegetable sprays, fish/shellfish sprays for 5 minutes.

Highlights

SharpSmart: The Nation’s First Statewide Residential Needle Disposal Program

SharpSmart Needle Disposal Locations