FALL CITY, Wash. — An urgent boil water advisory is in effect for Fall City after tests detected E. coli in the local water supply.
Two schools in the Snoqualmie Valley School District —an elementary school and a middle school —remained open in the Fall City boil water advisory zone.
The advisory was initially issued for a small area before being expanded to cover most of Fall City after water tested positive for contamination.
While many local businesses posted notices that they were forced to close because of the advisory, grocery stores saw high demand that left shelves stripped bare of bottled water.
Shoppers across town rushed to purchase bottled water, quickly exhausting supplies at local markets.
A Fall City resident, who managed to secure some of the last large bottles at a local supermarket, said she was stocking up for her household pets.
“My cats are drinking the water right now, so I’ve got the fresh water for them and for me,” she said.
Local establishments altered operations to navigate the contaminated water supply.
A manager at a local bar stocked up on paper plates, clean bagged ice, canned soda, and bottled water to stay open.
Bill Keeling, a Fall City resident who recently returned from a trip to the Bahamas, visited the bar after finding his home water unsafe to drink.
“We went out and bought some bottled water for the next day or so, hopefully it’s all over,” Keeling said. He added that the situation impacted his daily routine after returning home. “It’s been affecting me. I had to drink bottled water when I got home, then I was able to come down here and have a good beer.”
Businesses operating outside the designated advisory area were able to stay open without water issues.
Ken Rogers, manager of Rhodies Smokin’ BBQ near Fall City (but well outside the advisory zone), said he checked his establishment’s water source after learning about the contamination.
“My wife actually texted me this morning or called and said, ‘There’s E. coli in Fall City; check where your water comes from.’ Which I did, and my landlord got right back to me and said we’re on a separate water supply,” Rogers said.
The restaurant saw a slight increase in customers as nearby alternatives closed.
“I kind of thought we may get a bump in business today but hope the others are ok,” Rogers said.
The Fall City Water District announced it will post updates on its website as new information becomes available.
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