A second round of daily tests is negative for E. coli.
That means the Kent County Water Authority now just needs results to come back clean a third day in a row, on Wednesday, in order to lift a boil-water order imposed on Sunday, according to general manager Timothy Brown.
"We just got notice that all passed. They were all clean," Brown said late Tuesday morning.
The boil-water order was issued on Sunday after samples from a storage tank in West Warwick test positive for E. coli, a bacteria present in human and animal waste that can cause illness.
The order affects 25,000 authority customers, or about 80,000 people, in all or parts of the following communities: West Warwick, Warwick, East Greenwich, Coventry, Cranston and West Greenwich.
It's the first time in more than 25 years that the authority has issued such an order.
Brown said that 14 samples taken Moday from various parts of the system tested negative for E. coli. Samples taken Tuesday morning will be processed and the results are due back early Wednesday.
The EPA requires three consecutive days of tests to come back clean before a boil-water order can be lifted, meaning that authority customers may be able to drink again from their taps sometime on Wednesday, Brown said.