Uster districts left without clean tap water after contamination
By Jan de Boer
Residents of Uster have been warned to stop drinking the local tap water due to an unknown contamination. The local utility provider, Energie Uster, has told residents of some districts to not drink or use the water until further notice.
Communities in Uster told to stop drinking tap water
Late on August 8, the local council in Uster confirmed that the drinking water in parts of the city had been contaminated by an unknown substance. Authorities in the third largest city in Canton Zurich are currently working to fix the issue, though were unable to say when the fault will be fixed.
Energie Uster confirmed in a statement that those in the districts of Riedikon, Niederuster, Werrikon and Nänikon should not drink the tap water or use it to brush their teeth or take medicine. The water should also not be used to prepare food (washing salad for example), mix baby food or wash food containers.
Boiled or bottled water is recommended in affected areas
In the meantime, those in affected areas have been told to either boil tap water so that it is safe to drink or head to the supermarket to pick up some mineral water. They also stressed that beyond the areas affected, the water in Uster remains safe.
The water company said that they were “working flat out to restore the supply of clean drinking water as quickly as possible." For more information about the contamination, check out the Energie Uster website.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more