SABATTUS — The Water District notified residents Monday morning of a water test confirming the presence of coliform bacteria and that a low amount of chlorine will be added to its distribution system as a precautionary measure.

The results were from a “routine monthly sample in July,” the district’s notice said. “The bacteria is harmless, but used as an indicator.”

“You may experience a chlorine taste that will dissipate within a couple weeks,” the release said. “Sorry for the inconvenience, but the Water District strives for clean and safe water.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s regulations assert coliform bacteria must not be present at all in drinking water.

According to the Maine Division of Public Health Systems, coliform bacteria is a large group of bacteria found in soil, on plants and in surface water and lives in the intestines of humans and other animals.

“Coliforms are not harmful themselves, but when present in drinking water, disease-causing microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, and parasites may have gotten into the water supply by the same route as the coliforms,” according to a Maine DPHS fact sheet. “The Maine Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory tests for coliforms as an indicator for possible contamination.”