Rochester schools were closed Wednesday and residents were warned to boil their water after a body was found in the city’s reservoir.
City Water Department employees discovered the adult male around 8 a.m. Tuesday during a morning inspection of the Highland Park Reservoir. officials said.
The reservoir was immediately disconnected from the public water supply and plans began to drain the 26 million gallons of water.
“This is a very, very sad situation. But it gets even more complicated when you consider that this happened so close to our water supply. It’s important that we exercise our due diligence regarding this boil water advisory,” Malik said.・Mayor Evans said.
The body was recovered by a police scuba team and turned over to the Monroe County Coroner’s Office for identification.
Authorities have only described the person as an “adult male.”
Police are combing through security footage to determine how the man fell into the reservoir, which may also reveal the manner of his death.
It’s unclear how long the body was in the water, but Rochester officials stressed that the reservoir is “tested daily and water quality is continuously monitored.”
Initial water testing conducted by the city showed the drinking water was not contaminated, but the water department will continue to monitor for the presence of bacteria that can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches. I’m planning on going.
“We can’t say, ‘Yes, it’s completely clean.’ We think so with all the initial testing, but we need to make sure the public is safe,” said Starr O’Neill with the Monroe County Health Department. said.
“Therefore, you should be very careful with this boil water notice.”
A boil water advisory was issued for large areas of the city, forcing the Rochester City School District to close after-school activities Tuesday and classes Wednesday.
The reservoir will be completely drained and unavailable for use until cleaning is complete, which is expected to take approximately eight weeks.
In the meantime, Rochester is using two other nearby reservoirs, while also setting up a bottled water distribution center.
Residents are being asked to boil tap water for one minute before using it.
Disinfected water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing meals until further notice.
