Before drinking, brushing teeth, cooking or doing dishes, residents using town water should boil tap water for at least three minutes and let it cool.
The town sent out a mandatory warning message on Thursday shortly after 5 p.m. The directive lasts “until further notice” and the town expects it to last at least two days.
Rick Howe, president and CEO of the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce, said it’s been at least 15 years since he remembers a town-wide boil order.
He advised all chamber members to follow the order until Monday unless it’s called off sooner.
“It’s always alarming when there’s potentially harmful bacteria in the water source,” Howe said. “But it’s being mitigated and rectified as we speak.”
Howe is hopeful people follow the order to mitigate any harms – such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches – before the issue is resolved.
He said it was good that Jackson was being proactive in testing its water supply. Those tests led to the discovery of the bacteria, which town officials told him was a derivative of E. coli.
Those microorganisms can cause infections of the gut and urinary tract.
The town order comes months after two Jackson Hole subdivisions issued their own boil water orders following damage to water pipes.
All facilities and services at St. John’s Health remain open as the hospital complies with the order, Chief Communications Officer Karen Connelly said.
The town will test its water and update with “significant repairs or milestones.” Boil water advisories are lifted, the town said, after two consecutive days of clean test results.
Some areas outside the town limits should also be advised to boil or use bottled water:
Teton County Sheriff’s Office Search and Rescue Building
Saddle Butte subdivision
3 Creek Ranch
Jackson Hole Classical Academy
Jackson Hole High School
2775 W Dairy Ln
2605 W Dairy Ln
3385 W Boyles Hill Rd
3005 W Boyles Hill Rd
2905 W Boyles Hill Rd
2805 W Boyles Hill Rd
2925 W Red House Dr
Teton Science School – Coyote Canyon
