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Utrecht Boil-Water Advisory Lifted After Clean Tests as Vitens Investigates Contamination

Short-term institutional precautions continue, reflecting ongoing questions over cause and preparedness.

Overview

  • Vitens ended the four-day boil-water advice after two consecutive 48-hour test rounds came back clean, saying tap water is safe to drink immediately, with a one-minute flush advised only if taps were unused.
  • The affected storage reservoir in Utrecht-Kanaleneiland has been taken out of service and will be inspected and cleaned before being returned to the network.
  • Vitens is probing how enterococci entered the system, citing potential factors such as high groundwater, a crack in the reservoir or extreme rainfall, with findings still pending.
  • Utrecht University is advising one extra day without drinking from campus taps to allow flushing and manual cleaning of machines, while UMC Utrecht is flushing systems to restore normal operations.
  • Provincial parties have formally asked for explanations and a review of emergency water-stock options after the incident led to bottled-water runs and temporary adjustments by employers and public services.