If your tap is in Westmoreland, your stove just became part of the water system. Residents were ordered Wednesday to boil their tap water after the town’s water system lost its chlorine residual following a water main break. Officials warn that without disinfectant, bacteria or other disease-causing organisms can slip into the distribution system. Until tests clear the water, people are told to boil it for three minutes before drinking it, cooking with it, brushing their teeth, or making ice.
What the city says
In a public notice posted on the City of Westmoreland website, officials explain that the “City of Westmoreland water system lost chlorine residual in the distribution system” after the main break and that crews are flushing lines to push fresh, treated water through the network, according to the City of Westmoreland. The notice tells residents, in all caps, to “BOIL YOUR WATER FOR THREE MINUTES BEFORE USING” and to throw out any recently stored drinks or ice made from tap water. For questions, the notice directs residents to call City Hall at 615-644-3382.
How long to boil and why
Public health guidance says boiling tap water is the simplest way to kill microbes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that a rolling boil for at least one minute is generally enough, and recommends three minutes at higher elevations. The CDC also explains that boil-water advisories are precautionary and stay in place until bacteriological tests on the system come back negative. The town’s notice was first reported by local station WKRN News 2.
What residents should do now
Officials say residents should bring tap water to a full rolling boil for three minutes, let it cool, and use that boiled water for drinking, making food, preparing ice, and brushing teeth, or use bottled water instead. The notice also tells people to discard ice and any water stored in coolers or bottles after the advisory went out, and to check on vulnerable family members or neighbors who may be at higher risk from contaminated water. The city says the order will be lifted once flushing restores disinfectant levels and lab results show the water is safe again.
Why these notices happen
Boil-water advisories are standard procedure after pressure losses or main breaks, because low chlorine residuals raise the odds that contaminants can enter distribution lines. Federal guidance says utilities must confirm that water quality meets safety standards through testing before they cancel an advisory, a process that typically takes at least 48 hours to collect samples and get lab results, according to EPA public-notification and emergency-disinfection guidance.
