Residents of north St. Louis County are under a precautionary boil water advisory due to a 30-inch water main break. The advisory, which affects approximately 23,000 customers, was issued this morning and is expected to remain in place until Thursday morning. According to KSDK, the affected area includes parts of Berkeley, Ferguson, Hazelwood, and Florissant, with customers being advised to bring any water used for drinking or cooking to a rolling boil for three minutes.

The break, located at the intersection of Dunn and Taylor roads in Hazelwood, has caused significant flooding. Missouri American Water crews began working to control and repair the damage at 3:30 a.m. today, with efforts expected to continue throughout the day. FOX 2 reported that the incident has notably affected the Hazelcrest Condominiums, where four units experienced flooding.

The situation has disrupted local routines, with the Ferguson-Florissant School District announcing an AMI virtual learning day in response to the main break and the resulting advisory. It's a measure meant to protect residents from potential contaminants that could be present when system pressures drop, as they did following this main break.

The boil advisory is not the only safety concern; the Hazelwood Police Department and Ameren were on site due to electrical sources being compromised by water. "Officers say they saw several feet of water pouring out of the water main onto Dunn Road," First Alert 4 reported, with some residents having to be evacuated for their safety. While tap water is considered safe for non-consumable uses like bathing and washing, careful adherence to boil water guidelines remains essential for any ingestion-related purposes.

Landlords with water service in their name in the impacted areas were asked to inform their tenants of the boil advisory. In the interim, access to parts of the affected zones has been altered, with a portion of Dunn Road closed but with alternate access to Interstate 270 available via the roundabout. The public is advised to stay informed on updates as Missouri American Water and civil services work to resolve the issue and restore normalcy to the affected communities.