HAMPDEN-SYDNEY — Hampden-Sydney College has gone off the boil.

The drinking water problem that plagued the college’s water system has been corrected, H-SC’s director of marketing and communications, Thomas H. Shomo, announced Friday afternoon.

The need to boil water before drinking it or cooking with it was over.

“We are pleased to report that the problem has been corrected,” Shomo announced to students and faculty via email, “and that it is no longer necessary to boil water before consuming or using. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.”

Hampden-Sydney residents were notified on August 19 of a problem with the drinking water, specifically, E. coli bacteria were found in the water system on August 14.

Correction of the problem came with good timing as freshmen and transfer students arrived Friday, with all other students coming back by Monday ahead of the first day of classes on Tuesday.

Fortunately for the 200 students on campus last week for athletic practice and pre-term workshops, and for the many other users of the water system, no illnesses were ever reported.

Shomo attributed the absence of sickness to “the safety measures the College has taken and the students’ good sense.”

Fecal coliforms and E. coli indicate that water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Such bacterial contamination can occur when increased run-off enters the drinking water source, such as after heavy rains. Or if there is a break in the distribution system—in its pipes, for example—or a failure in the water treatment process.

H-SC uses wells for its water system and is not connected to the Town of Farmville’s water system.

For those unable to boil their tap water, potable drinking water was available in Graham Hall, Settle Hall and the Bortz Library on the H-SC campus.

But, now, safe drinking water comes straight from the tap.

And it’s taps for the E. coli bacteria.