South Bass Island Well Water Not Safe To Drink

Aug. 27, 2004

The Ohio Department of Health announced Thursday that the well water on South Bass Island is not safe to drink.

Four wells on the island, providing water for popular businesses, have been shut down after testing positive for E. coli. However, the water in the village of Put-In-Bay is reportedly is safe to drink.

But for now, no one is allowed to drink well water, and people on the island are urged to drink bottled or boiled water. There are no travel restrictions to the island at this time.

More than 1,000 people who visited the popular Lake Erie tourist destination have reported becoming ill. Fourteen of them were positively confirmed to have a virus or bacterial bug.

The symptoms included nausea, chills, fever, abdominal cramps, diarrhea and vomiting, and they generally lasted about 24 hours.

Most of those who reported being ill have since recovered.

Source: NewsNet5