MILLIONS of people across America are being ordered to boil their water before drinking or using it at all, officials said.
A boil water advisory is in effect for multiple counties in Atlanta, Georgia, due to an incident at a local water pumping station.
During a water boil advisory, you can bring your water to a rolling boil for a minute to ensure it’s safe to drink (stock image)[/caption]
Atlanta residents are warned to boil their water after a failure at a local pumping station (stock photo)[/caption]
The city’s Department of Watershed Management issued the advisory on Sunday night after a failure at the Adamsville Pumping Station.
Residents and businesses may be experiencing little to no water pressure in parts of Atlanta including the cities of South Fulton, Chattahoochee Hills, and Union City.
“To protect the public from a potential health hazard, all residents and property owners who have experienced water outages and/or low water pressures are advised to boil all water before using,” DWM said in a news release.
The water should be boiled for one minute past a rolling boil and then cooled before drinking.
Following the 60-second rule will help destroy bacteria that might have contaminated the drinking water.
The advisory warned that babies, the elderly, and people with immune deficiencies should be extra careful as they’re most at risk for getting sick.
Officials warned against drinking from public water fountains in the impacted area.
Also, if your freezer has an automatic icemaker, get rid of all the ice cubes and turn the machine off until the notice is lifted.
People experiencing water loss outside of the described areas are still advised to follow the precautions anyway.
If residents don’t boil their water, they can use bottled water for drinking, cooking, preparing baby food, or brushing their teeth.
The advisory will stay in place until the DWM is cleared to lift the rule after they take water samples, officials said.
DWM encouraged people in impacted areas to wash their hands regularly and said that tap water should “be safe for personal hygiene.”
Tap water should also be safe enough to use in showers with soap, officials said.
Boil water advisories are also in effect in more counties across Virginia and South Carolina.
ADVISORIES IN OTHER STATES
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, which is about 200 miles west of Richmond, sent out an advisory to the university on Monday due to flooding.
What to do during a boil water advisory
Boil water advisories are issued to customers when their water supply might be unsafe due to bacteria.
During water boil advisories, it’s recommended that people boil their water before consuming it, which could include:
- Drinking
- Washing dishes
- Making ice
- Preparing food
- Brushing teeth
Babies, the elderly, and people with immune deficiencies should be extra careful during water advisories because they’re most at risk for getting sick.
To properly boil water, bring tap water to a full rolling boil.
Let it boil for one minute, and then let it cool before using it.
Boiling water will help destroy bacteria that might have contaminated the drinking water.
You can also use bottled water or water purification tablets if you don’t have access to a stove or fire.
The advisory applied to Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia Tech, and Montgomery County.
“Boil your tap water. Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness,” the advisory said.
Multiple dining services closed on campus due to concerns about the water.
The New River Valley Water Authority said the boil water notice will stay in place until water sampling tests by the Virginia Department of Health bring safe drinking water test results.
Officials reminded that hot tap water won’t substitute for boiling water – and water from a water heater isn’t drinkable.
The Inman Campobello Water District also issued a boil water advisory around the Campobello, South Carolina area.
The company said that even though water service was restored in the region, the advisory would stay in effect until further notice.
Let your water cool before drinking it to avoid burns (stock photo)[/caption]
