UPDATED: ABOUT 1000 South Hobart residents will have to boil their water during the weekend because of the E. coli detection in the area.

As part of routine testing, TasWater took a water sample from Cascade Rd on Tuesday morning and by the afternoon the issue had been isolated

On Wednesday a laboratory at Selfs Point confirmed the presence of E. coli in the area morning after the sample had time to incubate for 18 hours.

TasWater service delivery general manager Bennie Smith said workers believed they had found the cause of the contamination, with the source being the upper Waterworks reservoir at Ridgeway near South Hobart.

“There may have been some raw or untreated water that has got into the supply either from Mt Wellington or Lake Fenton,” he said.

TasWater department manager Lance Stapleton said about 1000 properties were affected but that the utility had rectified the issue by isolating certain areas and flushing the system out with clean water. He expected the alert to be lifted during the weekend, subject to testing.

More water samples from the supply have been sent to Selfs Point.

Mr Stapleton said two consecutive tests, which take 18 hours for the sample to incubate, needed to come up negative for E. coli before the Health Department could lift the alert.

Mr Stapleton said all residents were doorknocked on Wednesday evening about the issue and denied it took too long to notify people.

“We used testing ... to make sure we didn’t over-notify so we narrowed it down to the customers that were affected.”

Mr Stapleton added investigations into why the breakout occurred were continuing and denied this was a third-world problem in a capital city.

“This does happen in first world countries,” he said. “When we look into the full investigations to how what and why then we’ll know whether or not this could be prevented.”

However, the issue follows a similar boil water alert for Risdon Vale in November last year. Health Minister Michael Ferguson argued the alert was another reason the State Government needed to take over TasWater.

Mr Stapleton refused to comment on the takeover and Labor MP Sarah Lovell accused Mr Ferguson of being misleading.

“There’s nothing to say a change of ownership would change the likelihood of these contaminations happening,” she said.

“The water storage is in South Hobart and surrounded by bushland. The testing capacity of TasWater means they can identify these contaminations early and they can find out where the source is.”

Hobart Mayor Ron Christie said the council, which is one of the owners of TasWater, had faith in the utility.

“They’re doing their job, they’re monitoring it on a regular basis and it was lucky it was picked up so quickly,” he said.

The Health Department has advised that consumption of unboiled water could lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. No cases of gastro had been reported relating to the alert. More information is available at www.taswater.com.au

media_camera South Hobart resident and cafe owner Ben Moreton has had to buy bottled water for his customers because of the boil-water alert. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

EARLIER: THE owner of two South Hobart cafes has been buying bottled water for customers after a boil-water alert hit the inner Hobart suburb.

Owner of Ginger Brown and Honey Brown cafes Ben Morton, who is also a local resident, said the alert was frustrating and disappointing.

Mr Morton said he was advised by TasWater to boil all water for drinking at his cafes, but that water used in coffee and for washing would be fine because it was heated.

“It’s not great,” he said,

“I got my guys to go down and buy bottled water from the shops so if a customer did want some water we had some water we could serve them.

“For locals it’s going to make things very difficult and I guess there could be a decrease in business with people being concerned but I don’t think they have any reason to be.”

At home, Mr Morton said he had boiled water for drinking and for brushing teeth.

media_camera The Arthur Street Reservoir in West Hobart was originally believed to be the source of the e.coli contaminated water. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

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EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON: HEALTH Minister Michael Ferguson argues the boil water alert is another reason the Government needs to take over TasWater.

Mr Ferguson said the Government still wanted to introduce legislation that would see it takeover TasWater.

“We’re really disappointed again to see a boil water alert in a capital city suburb in Tasmania,” he said.

“It does again indicate why the Government went to the election with a policy to get infrastructure fixed sooner and to bring our prices down.

“When it hits home into a city suburb it does indicate what the Government’s position has been and why.”

MORE: RISDON VALE BOIL WATER ALERT LIFTED

THIS MORNING: South Hobart residents will have to boil their water until at least tomorrow, with further sampling of the Arthur St water supply to be undertaken at a local laboratory.

TasWater sampled the Arthur St water tank supply on Tuesday before the Selfs Point lab confirmed the presence of E. coli.

TasWater service delivery general manager Bennie Smith said more samples of the supply would be taken today.

Mr Smith said the results would be back tomorrow at the earliest.

He said TasWater staff were trying to narrow down the causes of the bacterial contamination, which could involve the mixing of water from different supplies, burst water pipes or the improper disinfecting of fire hydrants after use.

“What we do is a lot of flushing of pipes and the system in events like this. There is on-ground testing of chlorine levels and bacteria testing.”

Mr Smith said 22 workers doorknocked residents last night about the alert.

OVERNIGHT: RESIDENTS of a Hobart suburb are being told to boil their water before consumption after E. coli bacteria was discovered in the water supply.

TasWater issued the boil water alert on Wednesday evening for residents of South Hobart who are serviced by the Arthur Street Water Supply.

One of several samples taken from areas across South, West and North Hobart during routine sampling contained E Coli, while the others met Australian guidelines.

TasWater and the state’s health department said follow-up tests would be undertaken to investigate the possible source of contamination.

Information on the boil water alert is available on the TasWater website (www.taswater.com.au) or by calling 136 992.

media_camera A map showing the area of South Hobart that is affected by the boil water alert.

It follows a similar boil water alert for Risdon Vale in November last year.

MORE: RISDON VALE BOIL WATER ALERT LIFTED

Customers should boil all water used for:

■ Drinking

■ Brushing teeth

■ Washing and preparing food or beverages

■ Preparing baby formula

■ Making ice.

Unboiled water may be used for:

■ Showering and bathing (avoid swallowing water). As a precaution babies and toddlers should be spongebathed to prevent them swallowing water

■ Washing dishes by hand or in a dishwasher, providing dishes are air-dried before being used after washing

■ Washing clothes.

The Department of Health and Human Services advises that consumption of unboiled water could lead to nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal cramps and a general feeling of being unwell.