Kannapolis lifts boil advisory enacted over E. coli bacteria concerns
Kannapolis officials lifted a boil water notice Saturday night after contaminants with E. coli bacteria were found in the city’s drinking water a day earlier.
“Local and state water quality tests have confirmed that the water is safe for all uses effective immediately,” officials said at 6 p.m. “Water users are hereby notified that it is no longer necessary to boil water used for human consumption.”
Residents can use their water “for any purpose,” officials said in a statement. “Restaurants and businesses may reopen now.”
What to do before using water in your home
In a statement, Kannapolis urged residents Saturday night to:
• Open all of their cold water taps and run them for at least 15 minutes to clear the service lines.
• Run all hot water faucets for at least 15 minutes so “the water in your water heater is replaced with fresh, treated water.”
• “Discard ice produced during the advisory and cycle your ice maker or water dispenser at least three times before using.”
• Run their dishwashers “on a full, empty cycle using the hot water setting to flush any potentially stagnant water from the system.”
• “Replace all water filter cartridges, including those in refrigerators, pitchers and under-sink systems, as they may have trapped contaminants during the advisory.”
• Flush shower heads by running them for several minutes, and run washing machines “through a cycle on the hot setting before washing clothes.”
What businesses should do
City officials urged business to:
• “Flush all cold-water faucets, drinking fountains and service lines for at least 30 minutes, starting at the point closest to the service entrance and working toward the most distant fixtures.”
• “Discard all ice produced during the advisory period and sanitize the ice bin and internal components according to the manufacturer’s instructions before resuming operations.”
• “Flush all soda fountains, coffee brewers, and water-fed beverage dispensers, and replace any attached water filtration cartridges to prevent the serving of contaminated water.”
• “Replace all point-of-entry and point-of-use filter cartridges immediately, as these devices can harbor trapped contaminants even after the main supply is clear.”
• “Consult your equipment manuals to follow specific flushing or disinfection protocols for cooling towers, medical devices, or laboratory water systems that may require specialized cleaning.”
Restaurant owners should see guidance from the Cabarrus Health Alliance and Rowan County Health Department by visiting www.cabarrushealth.org or Health Department | Rowan County.
Free bottles of water were available Saturday to Kannapolis residents under the boil water notice.
Bottled water was handed out beginning at 9 a.m. at 1401 Bethpage Road, according to a news release.
The city finished water line flushing Saturday morning, and water samples citywide continued to be analyzed, officials said.
What to do if you fall ill
“The Cabarrus Health Department has received no calls reporting illness and no reported concerns from Atrium Health Cabarrus,” according to a 10 a.m. city update.
Officials urged anyone experiencing illness to contact their healthcare provider or visit an urgent care or emergency room.
In a news release earlier Friday, city officials said “the city’s processes of cleaning and treating our drinking water should have eliminated these contaminants with no detrimental issues for the public.
“However, per North Carolina regulations we are informing you that the contaminants were found, and we are flushing and treating all city water to further ensure the contaminants are eliminated. This is believed to be a temporary issue and tests will be done within 24 hours to ensure the water is free of contaminants.”
Water customers were advised to “vigorously” boil water for at least one minute to kill disease-causing organisms. This includes drinking water, water used for brushing teeth, washing for washing dishes and water for food preparation, officials said.
This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 8:23 AM.