BLACKSTONE, Mass. -- Health officials confirmed this afternoon that the public water supply in Blackstone, Mass., is not contaminated despite a break-in at a public water supply facility Monday night that resulted in two arrests and prompted officials to issue a water ban.
Health officials eased water-use restrictions after receiving the test results from two Massachusetts state agencies, but officials have nevertheless ordered affected residents to boil drinking water until bacteria tests are completed.
"There was an extensive flushing regime yesterday and today. This kind of flushing can cause bacteria issue," said Edmund Coletta, spokesman for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
Bacteria testing is expected to be completed tomorrow afternoon. And while consuming non-boiled water is not advised, residents are free to come into contact with the water, Coletta said.
More than 8,800 Blackstone residents and 83 households in neighboring North Smithfield were ordered not to touch their water yesterday after the security breach was discovered.
Last night, the police arrested two 15-year-old boys, and they plan to issue a summons to a 15-year-old girl in connection with the incident.
The break-in prompted local officials yesterday to contact the FBI and speculate whether it was an act of terrorism. But this morning a police official characterized the act as "just kids being kids."
The teens were apparently bragging about the Monday night break-in at school yesterday, according to Blackstone Police Lt. Gregory Gilmore.
"We’re certain they didn’t dump anything into the water supply," Gilmore said this morning.
The boys voluntarily went to the police station with their parents at about 9:30 last night. After taking statements, the police arrested both boys, charged them with trespassing, malicious destruction of property, tampering with a water supply, and polluting a water supply.
Gilmore wouldn't clarify why the teens were charged with the latter crimes, even though police don't believe they dumped anything into the water tank.
All the charges are felonies, except for trespassing. The boys were transferred to a juvenile holding facility in Worcester last night. The 15-year-old girl will be issued a summons for trespassing, Gilmore said, but she will not be arrested.
Soon after learning of the break-in, authorities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island ordered residents connected to the Blackstone Water Department not to drink, bathe in, or even touch their tap water.
An empty 5-gallon bucket found at the building belonged to a construction crew that recently worked there, Gilmore said. The discovery of the bucket largely fueled speculation that vandals had contaminated the water supply. But police believe that the teens simply used the bucket as a stool to gain access to a ladder on the water tank.
Gilmore also denied reports that the alarm system had been disabled and that somebody had cut through barbed wire to access the facility.
"There was no barbed wire that was cut; there was no alarm system that was compromised," he said. "These kids just busted in to this place and smashed anything they could smash... It was a large concrete buildling, so there wasn’t much they could do besides focus on the water tank."
And while Gilmore largely blames the media for exaggerating the situation, Blackstone officials decided to close local schools today. Several businesses closed yesterday, as well.
"It was just juvenile anger, just kids being kids," Gilmore said. "They didn’t realize the consequences that they were doing it as a public water supply."
Gilmore could not say how much the break-in cost the community -- between the cost of flushing the water system, testing the water and the cost to local businesses that closed -- but he said it was substantial.
"I’m sure it's in the tens of thousands of dollars easily," he said.
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