Wayland DPW: Natick E. Coli Contamination Won't Cross Town Line

WAYLAND, MA — There's a boil-water advisory in neighboring Natick, but that doesn't mean Wayland residents should be concerned, according to the town Department of Public Works.

On Wednesday night, Natick officials issued a boil-water advisory after nine of 12 recent water samples came back positive for E. coli — a nasty bacterium that can cause nausea, fever, diarrhea and a severe kidney infection in rare cases.

According to Wayland DPW, the two water systems operate independently, even though they share a border.

"This means that issues experienced in one of the communities does not extend into the other," the DPW said in a Thursday Facebook post. "Wayland performs regular water quality sampling and testing, and we can assure our customers that Wayland water remains safe to use."

Natick's boil-water advisory will be in place until at least Saturday when new water tests can be performed. Town officials didn't immediately say what caused the contamination. Possible contamination routes include a broken pipe or increased stormwater runoff.