WHAT IS A BOIL WATER ADVISORY
A boil water advisory is a public notification advising customers to boil tap water before consuming it. Advisories are issued when an event has occurred with the potential to adversely affect water quality, or a situation has occurred where there is known degradation of the water quality. There are two types: precautionary and mandatory.
Precautionary boil water advisory: Issued when the water system experiences a loss in positive water pressure, typically due to a serious main break or low storage tank levels. A loss of positive water pressure indicates the existence of conditions that could allow contamination to enter the distribution system. This is the most common type of advisory, which is issued as a precaution until water samples are collected and analyzed to confirm that water quality has not been affected.
Mandatory boil water notice: Issued when contamination is confirmed in the water system. Customers are instructed to boil the water to kill bacteria and other organisms in the water, until the issue is resolved and the notice can be lifted. Contamination from organisms, such as bacteria, viruses and parasites, can cause symptoms, including nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches.
For more information on the steps you should take during an advisory, read the documents below.
Boil Water poster
