Boil order affects businesses at Hampton Beach

HAMPTON, N.H. —

Aquarion Water Company says a new test of its water supply for Hampton, North Hampton and Rye detected no bacterial contamination. But a boil order for those communities will remain in effect until results come in Sunday from another round of tests.

The boil order was issued Friday after a test found E. coli in the supply.

Meanwhile, the order is causing some headaches for businesses on the Seacoast, especially in Hampton, where restaurants have had to take additional measures in order to be in compliance.

“Prior water has been thrown out. We started fresh from the beginning with the bottled water. We’ve been going strong. We were laughing this morning because we were pouring the bottled water into the coffee machine, because we have a secondary way of doing it,” said Traci Schaake, who manages several dining establishments at Hampton Beach, including JB’s Seafood.

A few businesses closed Saturday due to the order.

Homeowners who get their water from Aquarion are advised to bring it to a boil for one minute to kill the bacteria, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It should then be allowed to cool, stored in a clean container with a tight cover and refrigerated.