As Melbourne was hit by a storm overnight, causing power outages in many areas, Yarra Valley Water has issued a warning for residents in almost 90 suburbs, about potential contamination of the drinking water supply.
"These power outages have resulted in some water entering our drinking water supply system and customer taps that had not been treated to the usual standard. Power has now returned and the initial issue has been addressed, however undisinfected water is still within some areas," says Yarra Valley Water.
As a precaution, it has gone on to issue a warning to residents of 88 suburbs to boil water before drinking, using it for cooking or for preparation of baby formula.
The water supplier has identified all the suburbs in Melbourne which are impacted, saying while the risk of contamination is low, it is "better to be safe than sorry".
The suburbs identified in the list include large swathes of Melbourne's metropolitan area, many of which have are known to have a high density of migrants. One of the suburbs identified is Craigieburn, which is home to the highest population of Punjabi migrants in Australia.
The suburbs impacted are:
For many Melburnians, already reeling under Stage 4 restrictions caused by the second wave of COVID-19 infections, this comes as yet another blow.
Dr Sandeep Bhagat who also lives in one of the impacted suburbs, has this advice for SBS Punjabi's audience.
"Please look out for symptoms of gastroenteritis like nausea, vomiting, or an upset stomach, and in some cases there could be diarrhoea. If that is the case, please seek immediate medical advice."
He adds, "From advisories issued by Yarra Valley Water and Chief Medical Officer, there seems to be a risk of bacterial contamination. Unlike viral gastroenteritis where you can monitor symptoms for a while, bacterial gastroenteritis can cause severe symptoms, and you need to get medical attention."
The risk is described as very small though.
The Chief Medical Officer has already advised that given the current circumstances, tap water should not be used for brushing teeth or washing of food items. There is also a suggestion about additional care to be taken with regular hand washing - a necessary guideline for coronavirus prevention.
Dr Bhagat says, "Please take care and follow the Chief Medical Officer's advice, as there is a very small but definite risk of serious illness."
Meanwhile Yarra Valley Water has urged its customers to keep an eye on its website, were further updates will be posted.
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