Every water customer in Wentzville is now under a citywide precautionary boil water advisory while crews finish tying a massive new pipeline into the city's system. The notice covers the entire city and asks residents to boil tap water before drinking it, cooking with it, or using it to brush their teeth, as workers complete a connection intended to improve water flow and pressure.
Advisory Moved Up as Crews Race the Clock
The advisory is now active for all City of Wentzville water customers, according to First Alert 4. The city said the advisory began earlier than previously announced as a precaution to protect customers while Public Water Supply District No. 2 finishes the connection and completes water-quality testing, the station reported. As FOX 2 reported, the advisory took effect Tuesday amid the new water main connection project.
The work traces back to Monday, when Public Water Supply District No. 2 began connecting a new 30-inch transmission main to the city's primary water supply connection, per the station's report. The new pipe had to be tied into the existing piping infrastructure that feeds the city's meters, and a precautionary advisory was issued during the connection project.
Expect Up to 48 Hours, Pending Test Results
Officials say the advisory is expected to last approximately 48 hours, though the actual timeline hinges on lab results rather than the clock. The advisory will remain in effect until test results are received and the city officially lifts it, the same account notes, and water-quality test results take a minimum of 18 hours to process. The city will notify customers when the advisory is lifted, officials said.
Public Water Supply District 2 notices posted on the district's own channels have offered differing timelines for the shutdown itself. One notice on the district's announcements page listed the shutdown for Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a 24-to-48-hour boil advisory, while a separate notice on the district's homepage said the water would be off Monday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., also followed by a 24-to-48-hour advisory. Both notices describe a 24-to-48-hour advisory, though the shutdown dates differ.
What Residents Should Do Right Now
Guidance from the city applies to any water used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Residents should use bottled water or bring tap water to a full rolling boil for three minutes and let it cool before using it for those purposes, including giving water to pets, according to the report. Household water filters do not replace boiling during the advisory, officials said.
The city is also asking residents to conserve water generally until the advisory is lifted. That follows an earlier request from officials to limit non-essential water use, including lawn irrigation and laundry, ahead of and during the project, according to a separate FOX 2 report.
Why the City Needed a Bigger Pipe
The new transmission main is meant to boost the system's capacity, with officials saying it will provide better flow capacity during peak demand times. Public Water Supply District No. 2 supplies Wentzville an average of about 4 million gallons of water a day, a figure that can climb to 8 to 9 million gallons during peak periods, First Alert 4 reported.
For boil water orders, guidance from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources says a public water system must notify consumers as soon as possible and through the most effective methods available that they need to boil their drinking water. Wentzville officials have said they will alert customers directly once testing clears the water and the citywide advisory is lifted.
