Water advisories are issued when a public water system suspects a threat to water safety.
Some areas see advisories issued much more frequently than others.
Another thing that would have a bearing is the age of the infrastructure," said Jim Ellars, PE, DHHR District Office coordinator.
The Environmental Engineering Division of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources handles procedures on what to issue in different situations and how to communicate with customers.
Regardless of how the advisories are communicated, they should be specific in how they describe the ways water in the affected area is and is not safe to use.
Probably be situation specific," Ellars said.
Public water systems also issue do not use orders.
"If there was a more serious concern about using the water at all then either we would expect the notice to describe that in detail or to issue a do not use order instead."
If you have specific concerns about your water or a boil water advisory in your area, call your local public water system.
It’s also a good idea to make sure you know how boil water advisories are communicated in your area so you stay informed regarding water safety.