Earlier this week, residents of a scenic Lake Tahoe community, known for its affluent inhabitants, were advised to boil their water due to potential contamination concerns.

Those living in Incline Village, located on the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe, received a notification on Monday from local authorities. The message warned of a “high potential” that their drinking water could be tainted with fecal matter.

The advisory explained that the Incline Village water system had experienced a pressure loss, which might have allowed water to flow backward or infiltrate through cracks, breaks, or joints in the pipes.

This type of system failure, the notice cautioned, could lead to fecal contamination or the introduction of other harmful microorganisms into the water supply.

Officials traced the alert back to a water leak that occurred last month, raising fears that contaminated water might have entered the village’s system. When untreated water enters the distribution network, it can bring fecal matter with it.

In response, emergency repairs were promptly initiated, with some households experiencing temporary water supply interruptions during the process.

Feces in public water poses a risk to health because it could be contaminated with bacteria such as E.coli. 

This bacteria often causes symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping. In serious cases, it can enter the bloodstream and cause the potentially fatal complication sepsis. 

Pictured above are houses along the shores of Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where locals are being warned over a potential contamination of their drinking water

Healthy adults normally recover from infections within a few days, but patients may be offered antibiotics to eliminate the bacteria. The bacteria is particularly dangerous for young children, older adults and pregnant women, who have weaker immune systems.

In the notice, residents were advised to boil their water for three minutes before using it or to buy bottled water.

This is above the normal one minute boiling recommendation, which officials said was needed because water takes longer to boil above 5,000 feet in altitude. The village is at 6,350 feet. Boiling water kills any bacteria or microorganisms lurking in it that could cause an infection.

Officials said the boiled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice. 

An official in the village told Gizmodo that there was no proof that fecal matter was actually in the water, adding that the warning was a standard public health notice issued under these circumstances.

And in a notice on Thursday, residents were told that tests had shown the water was not contaminated and THAT they could use public water as normal. 

Testing did not detect E.coli or other bacteria in the system.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that sewer systems in the US overflow up to 75,000 times every year, although these normally do not flow into public water systems. This appears to be the first time it has been reported in the picturesque mountain village.

Shown above is Thunderbird Lodge, Incline Village, that is regularly used for events and private tours in the area

Pictured above is Steve Wynn’s former property, Lakeshore Boulevard. It was sold for a record $62million in October last year following renovations

Oracle CEO Larry Ellison is reported to own the Hyatt Hotel at Lake Tahoe. It has been closed since March for renovations and is expected to reopen in 2027

Incline Village is home to more than 9,000 mostly ultra-wealthy residents and has an average property price of about $3.2million.

Billionaires that have called the village their home include Oracle CEO Larry Ellison, who owns the $345million Hyatt Hotel estate in the village which boasts 422 guest rooms, a casino and a spa. It was closed in March this year.

Ellison also owned a $20million house with six bedrooms, eight bathrooms, two piers and a lakefront hot tub in neighboring Glenbrook, but sold the property in 2014.  

Casino owner Steve Wynn built and then sold a house in Incline Village in the 1990s, which was purchased for a record $62million last year after renovations, making it the most expensive property in the village.

Other billionaires reported to have homes in the village include Workday founder David Duffield, who purchased the nearly $30million lakefront Osprey Estate in 2012, a property that includes eight acres, a guest house and a conference center.

Blockchains founder and CEO Jeffrey Berns also had a house in the village until September last year, when he sold the $47.5million waterfront estate that boasts four bedrooms, a home theater, a wine cellar and a three-car garage.

Mark Zuckerberg is also building a $59million seven-building compound nearby that will host a bunkhouse, gym and guest houses over a 10-acre property.

It comes amid a local feud over who should have access to the village’s picturesque beaches along the lake. 

Wealthy residents were reported to have been outraged in June this year over a plan to open up their private beaches to local dishwashers, ski instructors and other workers in the village.

Since 2023, Incline Village’s beaches have been fully private and reserved for its roughly 7,800 homeowners and their guests.

But the five-member board that governs Incline Village are calling for access to be expanded to the workers who keep recreation and utility services running in the area.