Somerset Residents Told Not To Drink Town Water

Residents of Somerset are being told not to drink tap water for at least a couple of days because a lawn-care company may have inadvertently tainted the town's water supply with hydro seeding material.

Selectman William Meehan said the company, contracted by the state, was hydro-seeding an area near the new Veterans Memorial Bridge when they tapped into a fire hydrant without permission, and some of the mixture of mulch and seed may have been sent into the town water supply.

Residents have been told not use water to drink, make ice, wash food, or brush teeth with town water. Water Department Superintendent Robert Lima said it's safe to bathe or wash dishes and clothes with the water, but not to drink it.

"But right now, their best bet is to provide themselves with a little bit of bottled water. They can bathe with it, they can do all of their other necessary things," Lima said.

The town is flushing the system and the state will conduct tests to make sure the water is safe.

The WBUR Newsroom and The Associated Press contributed to this report.