A boil water order issued last week for residents of Fairhaven, Marion, Mattapoisett and Rochester is still in place this week, according to an update released by officials on Saturday.

Officials posted an update over the weekend that water samples taken on Oct. 7 in Fairhaven and Marion still had E. coli bacteria present.

They noted that until further notice, residents in all four communities should keep boiling their tap water before drinking it or using it to cook or make ice.

Water sampling will continue on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday this week, according to the update.

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The order was put in place on Oct. 6 after E. coli was detected in Tri-Town and Fairhaven water systems earlier last week.

E. coli is a bacteria that comes from animal faeces and can cause serious illness, especially for those with weakened immune systems, the elderly, or the very young.

For Fairhaven residents, it's the second time in a month that E. coli has been detected in the water system, after the town found the bacteria and issued a boil water order in mid-September.

Officials said they have started temporary chlorination of the water distribution systems and will be flushing the system over the next several days.

Residents will be notified when the boil water order is lifted.

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