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Precautionary Boil Water Advisory -- City of Burlington, VT (South of Maple St, Willard St and all streets west)

 

DRINKING WATER PRECAUTION

City of Burlington WSID #5053

2:40PM

 

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

 

Precautionary boil water advisory issued for south of Maple Street (not including Maple): all streets west of Willard St (inclusive of Willard) AND south of Maple in Burlington. If you are outside of this area but experienced no water or low pressure, please call 802-863-4501 and follow the boil water protocol. Bring all water to a boil before using. This is being done out of an abundance of caution. 

We will update you when the situation is resolved. Out of an abundance of caution, the City of Burlington has issued a Precautionary 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. We will provide further communication on social media and our website burlingtonvt.gov/dpw.

What is the difference between a precautionary boil water notice vs. a mandatory boil water notice?

A precautionary boil water notice will be issued when there is a minimally elevated risk of contamination of the water supply, such as when there is a large scale, uncontrolled, and extended depressurization of a significant area of the system.  Regulations require that the public be notified in these instances. 

A mandatory boil water notice will be issued when there is a higher risk of contamination of the water supply, such as a known failure of treatment at the water plant or a known instance of soil, sewage or stormwater entering the water system as the result of a water main break.  In this instance, the risk of contamination is much higher and the public should not consume the water until the mandatory boil water notice is lifted.

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.

 

 

Robert Goulding, DPW Public Information Manager

Press Release Date: 
02/15/2020
City Department: 
Public Works Department