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FULLERTON — The city of Fullerton announced that E. coli was found in the city’s water supply, and the city is under a boil order.
The city is chlorinating the water and according to the notice, the boil order is expected to be in place between one and two weeks. The boil order was announced on Friday.
E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal waste. Human pathogens in these wastes can cause short term effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches and other symptoms. They may pose a great health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.
Residents should not drink the water without boiling it first. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
According to the boil order, bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source.
The city announced selenium in the water in July. Boiling water can increase the concentration of selenium in the water, but the city said on social media that they checked with the state and residents should still boil their water.
Fullerton was placed under a boil order in September of 2025 after the water supply tested positive for E. coli. That boil order lasted two weeks. Fullerton was placed under a boil order in October of 2024 after the water supply tested positive for coliform and E. coli. That boil order lasted 8 days.