Westerly — The public works department has issued a water boil advisory after bacteria was detected in the town's Bradford 2 well. All Westerly Water customers in Westerly and Pawcatuck are under the advisory.

According to a release, E. coli was detected in a sample on Tuesday. E. coli is a fecal indicator, a microbe that indicates a possible contamination with human or animal wastes. It can cause short-term digestive issues and other symptoms, and it can pose higher health risks for the young, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems.

The well has been isolated from the town's water system, and all other distribution samples in the system tested negative for bacteria. However, Westerly and Pawcatuck residents are asked to boil any water for one minute before use, or to use bottled water instead. A second notification will be sent out once tests show no E. coli in the system and the boil advisory is over.

For more information, contact Director of Public Works Paul Corina at (401) 348-2561.