What residents can do now

Tap water is contaminated after heavy rainfall

Irene Dittrich (61) currently has to boil water for everything: for drinking, for the coffee machine, for brushing her teeth.(Bild: Pressefoto Scharinger © Daniel Scharinger)

The stores in Großraming were stormed before the weekend and the mineral water bottles were emptied because the tap water in the municipality is currently contaminated with bacteria. But "we mustn't complain", says one of the affected residents.

Attention! The municipality of Großraming issued a warning on Friday, as reported: The tap water is contaminated with bacteria - presumably due to the heavy rain - and must therefore be boiled for at least three minutes. Shortly afterwards, the mineral water shelves were emptied down to the last bottle: "Everything is sold out," says Irene Dittrich (61), who lives in one of around 600 affected houses.

"That's the least of the problems"
Dittrich now also stands at the stove to boil water before brushing her teeth and washing her face. "You only have to shower with tap water," says the 61-year-old. It's all inconvenient, of course, but: "We can't complain. Boiling water is the least of our problems when you look at the consequences of the floods elsewhere."

No known cases of illness
On Monday, twelve water samples were taken in Großraming and brought to Linz for further analysis. The results should be available on Wednesday or Thursday. In the meantime, the drinking water is being purified by chlorination.

"We have flushed all the pipes. Doctors have not reported any illnesses, nausea or diarrhea in connection with the water," says Mayor Günther Großauer.