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Boil water advisory lifted for affected Kalamazoo customers

Two silver metal drinking fountains stand next to each other, the one on the left sitting slightly lower on the wall than the right fountain. Identical signs hang on both fountains, showing a crossed out image of someone drinking out of a drinking fountain. Text on the sign reads "Water Fountain Closed" above the crossed out image, and "DO NOT USE!" can be read below the image.
Sehvilla Mann
/
WMUK
Signs warn against using drinking fountains at Bronson Methodist Hospital in downtown Kalamazoo.

The advisory was issued on Saturday after a city water sample tested positive for E. coli.

The city of Kalamazoo lifted a boil water advisory Monday morning after samples taken on Sunday showed no detections of E. Coli or coliform group bacteria.

The advisory was issued Saturday after a sample of city water had tested positive for E. coli, and later coliform bacteria.

It affected a large section of the city and parts of Kalamazoo Township, in addition to Western Michigan University's main campus.

Despite the advisory being lifted, WMU is still recommending that those on its main campus continue to use bottled water or water that has been boiled for two minutes, until it has finished flushing water systems and replacing drinking fountain filters around campus.

Due to this, dining facilities at WMU's Student Center will continue to be closed, with other dining services continuing to operate with some changes.

More information about WMU's changes to dining services can be found here.

More information about the advisory being lifted can be found on the city's website.

Report for America national service program corps member Michael Symonds joined WMUK’s staff in 2023. He covers the “rural meets metro” beat, reporting stories that link seemingly disparate parts of Southwest Michigan.