Bottled water is being handed out at St. Marys as Mayo Clinic investigates what caused dark-colored liquid to appear in the hospital's water system.
Staff and patients were first alerted Monday afternoon that the water on campus was not safe for consumption or use in clinical care. As of Tuesday afternoon, people were still being advised to drink bottled water.
"Mayo Clinic is investigating instances of dark-colored water on our Mayo Clinic Hospital - Rochester, Saint Marys Campus," said spokesperson Sharon Theimer. "We have backup plans, including using distributing bottled drinking water, in place to ensure the safety of our staff, patients and visitors. We will provide an update when the issue is resolved."
The water is suitable for hand washing, said Theimer, but hand sanitizers are being placed in bathrooms as a precautionary measure across the hospital.
Rochester Public Utilities said Tuesday it is confident that the issue is internal to the St. Marys campus and that water throughout the city is safe to drink.
"RPU and Saint Marys officials will continue to address the discoloration issue and work to determine the cause," RPU said in a blog post.
The water concern was brought to RPU’s attention mid-morning on Monday after "sediment and rust or black colored water" began showing up in sinks and toilets at Saint Marys. To verify the issue was isolated, RPU flushed the areas surrounding the campus and found no discolored water.
Updated 5.1.18 at 12 p.m.
