BOIL WATER NOTICE (July 2, 2019)

DRINKING WATER WARNING

City of Burlington WSID #5053

7/2/2019 9:00 AM (update)

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

UPDATE (2:55PM): A previous version of this press release referenced broken valves as the cause of the depressurization.  An investigation is on-going, but the incident appears to have possibly been the result of an incomplete analysis of the potential impacts of work involving several water mains being shut down at the same time.

Due to an unplanned depressurization overnight on July 1/July 2 of a significant section of the Burlington distribution system there is a possibility that your drinking water supply may become contaminated on the way to the tap. 

System pressure has been restored, but the previous situation may present a health risk to City of Burlington water users in parts of the South End of Burlington (south of Shelburne/Clymer intersection and on Flynn Ave and all parts of the system south of Flynn Ave).  Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Burlington has issued Boil Water Notice for those affected users, effective immediately and continuing until further notice.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other; potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.  When a water system is experiencing fluctuations in water pressure the possibility exists for bacteria and other harmful organisms to enter the water distribution system and contaminate your drinking water supply.

People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from EPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791.

What happened? What is being done?

This Boil Water Notice will remain in effect until the water system maintenance/repair is complete and the system is able to demonstrate that the quality and quantity of the drinking water meets State and Federal drinking water standards. 

We will inform you when the necessary system maintenance/repair has been completed and tests show no bacteria present in the drinking water supply.  Water system pressure has been restored and the system is currently being flushed, but the boil water remains in effect until laboratory samples confirm water quality.  We are working to remove the boil water notice by 2 pm tomorrow (7/3).    We will provide further communication on social media and our website http://www.burlingtonvt.gov/dpw/water.

For more information, please contact Burlington Water Division at 863-4501.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.