A storm-driven electrical disruption knocked out pumping equipment and drained water pressure across parts of Volusia and Flagler counties, triggering a precautionary boil-water notice that remained in effect Sunday. County crews have since restored the water system to normal operation, but residents in several affected communities are still being told to boil their tap water before drinking it, cooking with it, or using it to brush their teeth.
According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the notice covers Volusia water utility customers in Halifax Plantation, Sugar Mill, Fairchild Oaks, Plantation Oaks of Flagler and Wexford Cove. The county's own water-alert page lists those same five communities but adds a sixth, Wexford Reserve, as also affected, per Volusia County. The county confirms the root cause: an electrical disruption during the inclement weather temporarily stopped pumping equipment, resulting in a loss of water pressure, before utility crews responded and restored the system.
Conflicting Details On Which County Each Community Sits In
The two accounts also diverge on which county some of these neighborhoods actually belong to. The News-Journal reports that Halifax Plantation is located in Volusia County, while Sugar Mill, Fairchild Oaks and Plantation Oaks of Flagler sit in Flagler County, with the county's alert identifying Wexford Cove as being in Flagler County. The county's water-alert page, meanwhile, places both Halifax Plantation and Wexford Reserve in Volusia County, and lists Sugar Mill, Fairchild Oaks, Wexford Cove and Plantation Oaks of Flagler as Flagler County communities. Hoodline could not independently resolve the discrepancy between the two community lists or their county classifications, so both versions are presented here as reported.
Regardless of which list is used, the guidance for residents is the same. Affected customers should boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth or washing dishes, bringing it to a rolling boil for at least one minute before use, the county says. Customers are also advised to discard any ice already made in automatic ice makers, with bottled water offered as an alternative in the meantime.
What Happens Before The Notice Is Lifted
Volusia County says it will conduct bacteriological testing, carried out in accordance with regulatory requirements, to confirm the water is safe to drink before lifting the notice. The boil-water advisory will stay in effect until that lab testing confirms the system meets required standards, and the county says it will notify affected customers once it is lifted. Residents can check for updates at volusia.gov/wateralert.
This is not the first time a corner of Volusia County has had to boil its tap water this year. Volusia County issued a boil-water notice for some county utility customers on June 23. Separately, a notice tied to a water main break caused by a private contractor hit the Lake Marie Estates community in DeBary and was lifted that Sunday afternoon, as reported by WESH. Lake Helen also saw a boil-water notice earlier this year after E. coli was found in a well, according to FOX 35 Orlando. None of those prior incidents are connected to the current storm-related pressure loss, but they are among several boil-water notices affecting Volusia County communities this year.
