---
title: "Boil-Water Notice Hits Part of Koreatown After E. Coli Is Detected"
description: "The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a boil-water notice for a two-block stretch of Koreatown after routine testing found E. coli bacteria at a single monitoring station — and residents there should treat their tap water until the utility says it is safe."
category: "Los Angeles"
category_url: https://herald.la/category/los-angeles
author: "Gabriela Soto"
published: 2026-07-02T00:25:00.000Z
updated: 2026-07-02T00:25:00.000Z
canonical: https://herald.la/article/boil-water-notice-hits-part-of-koreatown-after-e-coli-is-detected
tags: ["water quality", "Koreatown", "LADWP", "E. coli", "public health", "Los Angeles"]
---
# Boil-Water Notice Hits Part of Koreatown After E. Coli Is Detected

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a boil-water notice for a two-block stretch of Koreatown after routine testing found E. coli bacteria at a single monitoring station — and residents there should treat their tap water until the utility says it is safe.

If you live in a small pocket of Koreatown, don't drink from the tap without boiling it first.

## What happened

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power issued a boil-water notice Wednesday after routine testing a day earlier detected E. coli bacteria at one water-quality monitoring station in Koreatown, [LAist reported](https://laist.com/news/health/boil-water-notice-koreatown-e-coli-water-sample). The utility said it acted "out of an abundance of caution" while it collects and tests additional samples, and that the detection is isolated to that single location and does not affect the city's wider water system.

## The affected area

The advisory covers a two-block zone bounded by South Ardmore Avenue on the west, South Mariposa Avenue on the east, West 5th Street on the north and West 6th Street on the south, [according to the LADWP notice](https://www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/2026-07/KOREATOWN%20PARTIAL%20BWN_ENGLISH_FINAL.pdf). LADWP said it was notifying residents door to door and delivering bottled water to addresses inside those boundaries.

## What E. coli means

E. coli in a water sample is a warning sign that waste may have entered the supply, and drinking it can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches, [CBS Los Angeles reported](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/portion-koreatown-los-angeles-boil-water-notice-e-coli-bacteria/). Infants, young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk and should be especially careful.

## What to do right now

Until LADWP lifts the notice, residents and businesses inside the affected area should:

- **Boil tap water at a rolling boil for one minute** and let it cool before use.
- Use boiled or bottled water for **drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice and washing produce**.
- Do not use unboiled tap water for any of the above.
- Take the free **bottled water** LADWP and Council District 10 are distributing in the area.

## How long, and where to get updates

The utility has not set an end date; the notice stays in effect until follow-up tests confirm the water is safe. For updates, residents can call LADWP's water-quality line at (213) 367-3182 on weekdays, the 24-hour customer line at (800) 342-5397, or check LADWP.com/WaterQuality. The utility says it will notify customers as soon as the advisory is lifted.

## Sources

- [Boil water notice issued for part of Koreatown after E. coli found](https://laist.com/news/health/boil-water-notice-koreatown-e-coli-water-sample)
- [Portion of Koreatown under boil water notice for E. coli bacteria](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/portion-koreatown-los-angeles-boil-water-notice-e-coli-bacteria/)
- [Boil water notice in parts of Koreatown](https://www.ladwp.com/sites/default/files/2026-07/KOREATOWN%20PARTIAL%20BWN_ENGLISH_FINAL.pdf)