originally posted on January 8, 2017

BELTON, Texas (KWTX) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality issued a boil water notice Saturday night affecting most of the Dog Ridge Water Supply system.

The only areas NOT affected by this notice are Colinas del Lago, those off FM 1670, Sherwood Shores 7, and the small area off of Dog Ridge ROAD.

The notice has been issued due to loss of system pressure because of power outages and line breakage.

All customers are to vigorously boil their water prior to consumption until further notice.

originally posted on January 7, 2017

Southwest Ouachita Waterworks, Inc. has issued a boil advisory for about 50 percent of the system’s customers.

Customers served from the Charlie Griggs Road well site discovered very dark water Saturday morning.  The Woodlawn area was the most affected by the dark water.

Customers affected were notified by telephone, text, or email this morning using the system’s automated ALERT system.

Upon investigation by the system personnel, malfunctioning equipment, along with extremely high usage because of freezing temperatures overnight, caused the elevated tank to go into a lower-than-normal level.  This caused the dark water at the bottom of the tank to enter the distribution lines.

As system personnel continue to flush the distribution lines, along with customer usage, the color should diminish within the next 48 hours.

System personnel suggest that customers do not attempt to wash clothes until the water is clear at the home.

Southwest Ouachita Waterworks’ Charlie Griggs Road well site is currently operating on generator power until other power supply problems can be corrected.

Southwest Ouachita Water apologizes for this inconvenience.  Personnel will be working throughout the night to alleviate this dark water.

originally posted on January 11, 2017

OUACHITA PARISH, La. (KNOE 8 News) – Update: Customers with Southwest Ouachita Waterworks are no longer under a boil advisory, after the advisory was rescinded Wednesday.

Customers woke up to dark water Saturday morning, which prompted the issuing of the boil advisory..

Here is the release, issued by Southwest Ouachita Waterworks:

“Southwest Ouachita Waterworks, Inc. has issued a Boil Advisory to approximately 50% of the water system customers. Customers served from the Charlie Griggs Rd. well site discovered very dark water this morning. The Woodlawn area was the most affected by the dark water.

Customers affected were notified by telephone, text, and/or e-mail this morning using the system’s automated ALERT system.

Upon investigation by the system personnel, malfunctioning equipment, along with extremely high usage due to freezing temperatures overnight, caused the elevated tank to go into lower than normal level. This caused the dark water at the bottom of the tank to enter the distribution lines.

As system personnel continue to flush the distribution lines, along with customer usage, the color should diminish within the next 48 hours.

System personnel suggest that customers do not attempt to wash clothes until the water is clear at the home.

Southwest Ouachita Waterworks’ Charlie Griggs Rd. well site is currently operating on generator power until other power supply problems can be corrected.

Southwest Ouachita Water apologizes for this inconvenience. Personnel will be working throughout the night to alleviate this dark water.

We will keep you advised as to when the Boil Advisory is rescinded.

Customers served by other well sites are not affected by this Boil Advisory.”

Rescission Advisory Issued 1/11/17:

For the customers on Aaron Road, Adams Lane, Amanda Lane, Bill Golson Road, Blackwell Road, Bob Murphy Road, Browning Road, 211-258 Buddy Beard Road, Caples Road, Carra Lane, 121-1166 Charlie Griggs Road, Charlie McCain Road, Danna Road, Day Road, Dick Tracy Drive, Dogwood Lane, Dowdy Road, Dykes Road, Ed Rutldge Road, Elkins Road, Emmett Arrant Road, Fannin Road, Folden Road, Gadwall Lane, Guess Road, Guyton Road, H. B. Calhoun Road, Hat Creek Drive, 409-1477 LA 557, 104-242 LA 34, Howlett Road, 198-1840 LA 3033, Isaac Burnett Road, Jackie Drive, Jamie Drive, Jim Arrant Road, Jim Howlett Road, Jimmy Lee Lane, Johnny Lane, 3601-6655 Jonesboro Road, Karen Road, Laing Road, Lakeview Road, Lambert Lane, 116-1754 Lapine Road, Laura Wilkes Road, Lee Gates Road, Lenard Lane, Lisa LaJuan Drive, Little Lake Road, 1182-1300 Lovelady Road, Lynch Road, Martin Road, Mathis Road, May Road, McCarty Lane, Mt. Vernon Church Road, Newell Johnson Road, Pepper Road, Philpot Road, Pintail Lane, Ponderosa Road, Price Road, Rebecca Drive, Red Cut Road, Risher Road, Rogers Road, Ruben Johnson Road, Rutledge Road, Sandalberry Road, Sangria Drive, Saterfield Road, Smith Brothers Road, Sunnybrook Road, Swillie Lane, T. P. Beard Road, Tidwell Road, Tramm Road, Traxler Road, Tyson Road, VFW Road, Waggoner Road, Webb Pierce Road, Woodlawn School Road, Z Street in Ouachita Parish
January 11th 2017
The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals/Office of Public Health, hereby rescinds the BOIL ADVISORY issued by Southeast Ouachita Water System. The samples cleared on 1/11/2017.

by Anne O’Connor, originally posted on January 16, 2017

One school water tap was found to have an elevated level of lead, and two showed elevated copper levels in schools in Townsend and Pepperell during a voluntary test performed in December.

The level slightly exceeds the Massachusetts levels for drinking water at schools, according to a letter to families and staff sent by Joan Landers, superintendent of the North Middlesex Regional School District, on Jan. 3.

The test found a water cooler at Pepperell’s Varnum Brook Elementary School, outside Room 112, with a copper level of 1.78 milligrams per liter. The action level is 1.3 mg/l.

A bubbler outside the administration offices at Hawthorne Brook Middle School in Townsend showed 1.92 mg/l of copper. A sink in the middle-school library tested at 0.0324 mg/l for lead. The action level is 0.015 mg/l.

During the testing, offered and paid for by the state Department of Public Health and the state Department of Environmental Protection, 157 sources were tested throughout the North Middlesex district.

The district removed the three affected faucets from service, Landers wrote. A flushing program is in effect, and the sources will not be used again until they are resampled.

“We will also undertake efforts to determine the cause of the Action Level exceedance,” the letter said.

Fact sheets from the DPH say there is little danger from elevated levels of the metals in drinking water. Blood and urine testing is not generally recommended after identifying a drinking-water source at school.

The metals commonly leach from pipes and fixtures, and are not in the water sources, the handouts said. Running the water for one minute before use is recommended. Only cold water should be used for drinking or cooking.

The two buildings are about the same age. According to the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Hawthorne Brook was built in 1976 and Varnum Brook was last renovated in 1996.

In July, both schools and the Squannacook Early Childhood Center in Townsend were accepted in the accelerated repair program run by the MSBA.

by Ricky Rouan, originally posted on January 16, 2017

The Columbus Department of Public Utilities has issued a boil-water advisory for customers affected by a 20-inch main waterline break Monday morning on the Northwest Side that also caused flooding to about a dozen homes off Olentangy River Road near Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Customers within the following boundary area are advised to use bottled water or boil all tap water used for cooking and drinking for one minute until further notice: Route 315 to the east, Henderson Road to the north, CSX railroad tracks to the west and to the south along McConnell Drive west of Olentangy River Road and then south to 3595 Olentangy River Road.

Those customers who were left without water altogether by the break had service restored about 10:45 p.m. Monday. However, those customers will also need to boil their water until the city’s Water Division has completed necessary sampling and lab testing of water in the entire affected area to ensure safe consumption. Customers with questions can call customer service at 614-645-8276 or visit columbus.gov/utilities.

Columbus Public Utilities officials could not give an estimate Monday night on how many customers were affected by the break or how long the boil-water advisory will remain in effect.

Ridgeview Middle School is in the boil-water advisory zone, but students were already scheduled to be off on today for a staff records day, said Scott Varner, spokesman for the Columbus City Schools. Staff members will be advised not to use fountains or tap water.

The water came fast Monday morning after the 20-inch waterline broke just to the north of Mike Hedrick’s residential subdivision off Olentangy River Road. It crept down Olentangy, banking east on Annadale Drive and overwhelming the drain at the end of the street sometime before 7:30 a.m.

Before long, basements began to flood. Water seeped through the floor when Hedrick’s basement couldn’t hold any more.

“It will be hours pumping that thing,” he said, gesturing toward the pump truck humming in his driveway. “It would take me years.”

Utilities officials were trying to determine what caused the breach. The 20-inch line that carries water east from a 24-inch main running north and south on the west side of Olentangy River Road broke. City crews closed the valve before 11 a.m.

The break caused lower water pressure as far away as Clintonville, and nearby medical facilities also had problems. OhioHealth shut down several facilities at its Riverside campus.

OhioHealth Kobacker House, a 24-bed inpatient hospice center, also was without water, said spokesman Marcus Thorpe. There, 250 gallons of water were brought in to operate toilets. Mobile hand-washing stations were being used outside restrooms, and patients and family members were given bottled drinking water.

The American Red Cross was in the neighborhood handing out cleanup kits that included disinfectants, towels and gloves. Anyone who needs assistance or wants to donate can call 614-253-2740.

The city was having trouble pinpointing the location of the break because it had to travel through woods to access the line.

Neighborhood residents said flooding in the area has been a problem for years. Before Route 315 was built, heavy rain didn’t build up on their street — it drained to the river. Now, the highway blocks that path.

The drain at the end of Annadale can’t handle the volume after a downpour, residents said, and the waterline break brought even more water than usual.

“We’re a wet neighborhood already. This is kind of an extreme,” said Kevin Hill, who lives on Annadale. “There was just water spraying in through the walls.”

Hill estimated that he had about 40 inches of water in his basement at its peak Monday, but it had started to subside after noon. He was unsure whether his washing machine and dryer still worked, and he needed to check the condition of his furnace and hot water tank.

Hedricks’ furnace and hot water tank were fully submerged. He lives near the drain on Annadale, the neighborhood’s low point, and the water rose more than 6 feet before seeping into the first floor.

The two sump pumps that normally keep the water at bay weren’t fast enough to hold back the flood. After half an hour of pumping from a truck, the water level dropped to show the first few stairs into Hedricks’ basement.

Only one room avoided flooding and Hedricks, 70, moved fast to maneuver some valuables out of reach. His flat-screen television sat on the kitchen counter, and he moved two pickup trucks before the water got too high.

He wasn’t fast enough to move his 2015 Honda Civic from the garage. The car started this afternoon, water spitting and sputtering out the exhaust pipe, but the floor was still flooded.

“My car is ruined,” he said.

Hedrick has lived in his house for about six years, but it’s been in his family for decades. Once, it flooded up to the countertops of the kitchen, he said.

Pete Rollins, who lives on Olentangy River Road, said the city needs to install more drains in the neighborhood. Most of the neighborhood driveways are covered with water when it rains, he said, and he had about 2 feet of water in his basement Monday.

“I’ve got to assess the other damage,” he said. “There needs to be an improvement.”

A city spokesman said that will be taken into consideration.

“They are in the lowest portion of that area there,” said John Ivanic, an assistant director in the Department of Public Utilities. “That’s something we can look at in the days moving forward here.”

originally posted on January 17, 2017

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) – A broken water main has forced City of Columbia Water Works to issue a boil water advisory for customers of the Department of Juvenile Justice on Broad River Road.

People who get water service from DJJ in the area, or customers who experience low water pressure, should boil water vigorously for one minute before drinking or cooking.

A 10-inch water main broke. Columbia Water Works crews are working to repair the pipe.

Questions concerning healthcare facilities such as hospitals, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities should be directed to the SC DHEC Division of Health Licensing at 545-4370.

The City of Columbia Customer Care Call Center, 545-3300, may answer other inquiries concerning this advisory.

originally posted on January 16, 2017

Officials expect Brookhaven to remain under a boil-water alert alert today and most of Tuesday.

Samples are being collected this morning and will be sent to the state Health Department for testing, said Ralph Augimeri with Mitchell Technical Services, which is contracted to operate the Brookhaven Wastewater Treatment Plant.

“Hopefully tomorrow we’ll hear something,” he said. “They’ll get to the lab about 2 and it will be at least 24 hours after that (before they get the results).”

Samples were collected Sunday as well.

Liz Sharlot, director of communications for the state Department of Health, said Friday that the state needs to see “two days of clear samples” before the advisory can be lifted.

She said as soon as the sample tests show there is no presence of E. coli or coliform bacteria, the advisory will be removed. 

Customers can go to healthyms.com and search under boil-water notices for the latest status for Brookhaven, she said.

The entire city of Brookhaven is under a boil-water alert issued by the Mississippi State Department of Water because routine water samples showed the presence of E. coli and total coliform bacteria, which is a serious heath concern according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Those bacteria in the water samples indicate that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The presence of these bacteria in water generally results from a problem with the treatment process or pipes which distribute the water.

Health officials strongly recommend that all water be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed.  

Checklist for safe water use:

DO NOT
• Do not drink tap water while the water system is under a boil water advisory.
• Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the affected system.
• Do not use ice unless it has been made with boiled water. Freezing will not necessarily kill harmful bacteria.
• Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.

DO
• Wash your dishes in boiled water, or use paper plates for the next few days.
• Wash your fruits and vegetables with boiled or bottled water since they may have been exposed to affected water from grocery store sprayers.
• Wash your hands and bathe as usual. Bathing is safe as long as no water is swallowed.
• Brush your teeth with boiled or bottled water.
• Cook with tap water if the food will be boiled for at least one minute.

AND REMEMBER:
• Properly chlorinated water in swimming pools is safe.
• Fish in aquariums are not affected.
• Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will inactivate all major types of harmful bacteria.

WHEN THE BOIL-WATER ALERT IS LIFTED:
• Flush faucets for a total of 10 minutes to introduce system water throughout house plumbing.
• Flush any faucet a minimum of 2 minutes to ensure clearing of the line serving the faucet.
• Discard any drinks, ice, food, etc, made during the boil water notice.
• Rewash any food or drink contact items (knives, forks, plates, etc.) with “cleared” system water.
• Check water filters (in faucets, refrigerators and elsewhere) and replace if necessary.
• Do not use water from your hot water heater for drinking until several exchanges of the tank have occurred.
• Run dishwasher through a cycle or two before washing dishes.

by Kristy Steward, originally posted on January 16, 2017

Asheville, N.C. (WLOS) — The City of Asheville (COA) Water Resources Department would like to report an emergency water interruption on/in Shady Circle from Whitson Road to the dead end of Shady Circle. This interruption of water requires issuance of a Boil Water Advisory. COA encourages customers to vigorously boil tap water for 1 minute before consuming it. COA is performing laboratory testing and the advisory will be lifted when tests confirm the possibility of risk is not present. Customers will receive notification that the advisory has been lifted via the same communication process as this advisory.

When water systems experience low pressure or lose pressure, there is an increased risk of contamination. This does not mean that the water is contaminated, but that the possibility exists. Once pressure returns, there is the possibility that some discolored water or air could be present in the lines. Customers are advised to run cold water for 5-10 minutes or until water is clear.

Properties in the affected areas are receiving this notification via the COA automated system or door hangers. Citizens may register for automated alerts by clicking on the Citizens Alert Sign Up Link located on the COA website www.ashevillenc.gov.

For further information, please call 251-1122, or visit http://www.ashevillenc.gov/Water.

by Thia James, originally posted on January 16, 2017

Crews have dealt with water main breaks daily since the cold snap last Wednesday, according to the City of Saskatoon’s director of Water and Waste Stream.

Russ Munro said the city typically experiences five such breaks over the course of a week during the winter. He said the rate of breaks in the last week isn’t atypical for this time of the year.

He said when we get a cold snap the frost penetrates deeper into the ground, particularly when there isn’t a lot of snow on the ground to insulate it. The frost shifts the ground, putting stress on pipes, which can lead to breaks.

“The frost goes in wherever it wants to go in and that’s something we can’t really fight,” he said.

The work on the water main that broke in the 300 block of Duchess Street was well under way on Monday morning.  In a statement about the break, the city warned of rapidly fluctuating temperatures causing “dramatic” ground shifts which can break pipes regardless of their age.

Temperatures in Saskatoon have quickly rebounded from last week’s cold snap. For each of the first 12 days of 2017, the daily lows were below -20 C, getting as low as -35.9 C on Friday without the wind chill.

According to Environment Canada’s forecast, the temperature will rise over the course of the week, until it peaks at a high of 5 C on Friday.

The two previous years were milder years, Munro noted and Saskatoon experienced fewer water main breaks than in 2014. The city experienced 320 water main breaks in 2014.

Temperature swings could also lead to breaks related to frozen water line connections to homes and sewer line breaks if the frost were to get that deep.

Casey MacLeod, spokesperson for SaskEnergy, said temperature fluctuations can affect the soil, particularly in areas with heavy moisture and clay-like material. The ground could shift and damage gas lines.

“Any time of year you think you smell a rotten egg smell, better safe than sorry, give us a call and we’ll come check it out. We do see more leaks happening in the spring when the ground is shifting from the thaw,” she said.

The freeze-thaw could also lead to meters and external furnace vents being encased in ice. In the case of the latter, carbon monoxide could build up inside the home.

Temperature swings similar to the one Saskatoon has experienced in the last few days may happen more frequently, one researcher says.

Bill Patterson, an isotope biogeochemist at the University of Saskatchewan, said warm wet air is coming off the Pacific Ocean while warm air is also coming off the Rocky Mountains, leading to this week’s forecasted temperature increase.

“It’s not a typical situation that we have warm air streaming up from the southwest. Normally, we have cold air streaming down from the north,” he said.

Patterson said the warmer weather is also related to the decrease in summer sea ice in the Arctic. He said the disappearance of sea ice associated with the warming of the Arctic may lead to changing circulation patterns thousands of kilometres to the south.

For all of these climate patterns, which are changing at different rates, to converge and be doing the same thing at the same time is rare, Patterson added.

“It may happen more frequently if we change conditions, say ice coverage of the Arctic, for instance.”

by Michelle Chavez, originally posted on February 2, 2017

Pittsburgh’s flush and boil water advisory has been lifted, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) said Thursday.