Emergency Department Visits for Acute Gastrointestinal Illness After a Major Water Pipe Break in 2010

When a water pipe breaks, contaminants can enter the drinking water system and cause waterborne illnesses such as acute gastrointestinal illness. In May 2010, a major water pipe broke near Boston, MA, and a boil water order was issued to nearly two million residents.

Using a case-crossover study design, we examined the association between the water pipe break and subsequent emergency department visits for acute gastrointestinal illness. We identified cases of illness according to ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes and selected control dates 2 weeks before and after each case. We estimated the risk of visiting the emergency department during the 0-3 and 4-7 days after the water pipe break using conditional logistic regression models.

Our analysis included 5,726 emergency department visits for acute gastrointestinal illness from 3 April 2010 to 5 June 2010. Overall, there was a 1.3-fold increased odds for visiting the emergency department for acute gastrointestinal illness during the 0-3 days after the water pipe break (odds ratio [OR] = 1.3; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1, 1.4) compared with referent dates selected 2 weeks before and after. During the 4-7 days after the break, the association diminished overall (OR = 1.1; 95% CI = 0.96, 1.2). However, in communities over 12 miles from the break, the 4- to 7-day association was elevated (OR = 1.4; 95% CI = 1.1, 1.8).

This study suggests that a major water pipe break was associated with emergency department visits for acute gastrointestinal illness, particularly during the 0-3 days after the break, when a boil water order was in effect.