Following a significant water main break in Long Beach on Wednesday, the city's utility department has issued a Boil Water Notice affecting residents and businesses across a wide swath of the area. As reported by KTLA, the notice stretches across three zip codes and is a result of a break occurring at 3502 Orange Avenue.
The resulting low water pressures prompted Long Beach Utilities Department to advise potentially over 125,000 customers to only consume boiled or bottled water. This precautionary measure is set to remain in place until water safety can be assured. As detailed by Long Beach Utilities' Facebook post, those in affected areas should urgently start to boil their water for safe consumption. The notice specifies the necessity to boil water for one minute and let it cool before use, and it extends to activities such as drinking, food preparation, and tooth brushing.
A detailed account of the break by CBS Los Angeles places the time of the incident at approximately 11:20 a.m., after which water flooded through the streets of the California Heights neighborhood for about an hour before being capped. The Long Beach Utilities Department then undertook system flushes to remove sediment—a non-harmful but unwelcome byproduct of the disruption in water pressure.
The Boil Water Notice encompasses zip codes 90807, 90805, and parts of 90806. Long Beach Utilities, in coordination with the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW), aims to thoroughly monitor the water and inform residents when it is safe to consume again. In the meantime, they have also provided guidelines for using household bleach as an alternative method to purify water if boiling is not possible. It should be noted, that bleach should only be used with the correct dilution to avoid any potential health hazards, as the water might "taste or smell like chlorine," signaling that disinfection has indeed occurred.
Updates on the situation and additional information on the Boil Water Notice can be obtained by contacting Long Beach Utilities directly at the provided number, 562-570-2390, for those seeking further clarification or assistance during this time.
