UPDATE: On Monday, ABC57 spoke with Three Oaks water officials who are working diligently to flush the water system of coliform bacteria that was detected last week. 

Officials say they are hopeful the order is lifted by the end of the week and that the flushing and chlorination of the system is not a complicated process, but it does take time.

While they can't yet say for sure, officials believe it was a water main break that allowed some dirt and bacteria to enter the system. 

The State of Michigan will most likely be investigating the cause. 

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ORIGINAL: THREE OAKS, Mich. -- On Friday evening, the Village of Three Oaks issued a Water Boil Order due to coliform bacteria was detected in the water supply.

Village officials are stressing that no one drink the water without boiling it first.

"Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water," the order states. "Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice."

Officials say if you have a severely compromised immune system, have an infant, are pregnant, or are elderly, you may be at increased risk and should seek advice from your health care providers about drinking the water.

"Total coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves," the order says. "Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found and this is a warning of potential problems."

The presence of coliforms is a sign that there could be a problem with the water pipes that distribute the water.

"Whenever we detect coliform bacteria in any sample, we do follow-up testing to see if other bacteria of greater concern, such as E. coli, are present," village officials say. "No E. coli has been detected. If E. coli had been detected, we would have notified you immediately."

Regular testing is done on the water system and supply, it was the routine testing that first caught the bacteria. 

"We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants. We took four samples for coliform bacteria during the month of October 2024," village officials said. "Three of those samples showed the presence of coliform bacteria."

From the Village of Three Oaks:

We are actively working with the State of Michigan to locate the source of the contamination. The Water Department isolated the main that broke September 2024. We continue to flush the system. The State of Michigan may require the water to be chlorinated. If chlorine treatment is required, you may notice slight discoloration in your water.

Please continue to use boiled or bottled water until we notify you that the issue has been fully resolved. We will inform you once testing confirms that no bacteria are present in the water. We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

If you have questions, you may contact Dan Faulkner of the Village of Three Oaks water system at 269-612- 7000, [email protected], P.O. Box 335, Three Oaks, Michigan 49128. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from United States Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.