LADWP lifts Koreatown boil water notice after E. coli test

A boil water notice for a section of Los Angeles's Koreatown was lifted on Thursday, July 2, 2026, just one day after it was issued over concerns about E. coli bacteria. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power declared tap water safe for consumption as of 1 p.m. that day following additional testing.

The precautionary notice was issued on Wednesday, July 1, after a routine water sample collected on Tuesday, June 30, from a single testing station in the neighborhood tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli). Officials emphasized the action was taken out of an abundance of caution. The affected area was bounded by South Ardmore Avenue, South Mariposa Avenue, West 5th Street, and West 6th Street, impacting approximately 460 residential customers and a small strip mall.

During the notice, residents and businesses were instructed to use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice, and washing produce. The disruption forced some small businesses to close ahead of the busy Fourth of July weekend. The city distributed bottled water to the area until the notice was lifted at 5 p.m. Thursday.

LADWP Water Quality Director Jonathan Leung said...