Water customers of the city of Danville remain under a boil water notice due to problems treating the water from rainfall received this past weekend.
The notice will remain in effect pending the test results of water samples. Those results will not be available until Wednesday morning at the earliest, said Barry Dunkley, director of water and wastewater treatment for the city of Danville.
“Providing safe drinking water is our top priority,” Dunkley said.
When the notice was issued Monday afternoon, no unsuitable water for drinking or cooking had yet reached homes and businesses, he said. The unsuitable water first had to make its way through the system to Ballou Park Reservoir. From there, he said it could take hours, or even a day or more, for the water to make it into homes and businesses.
The boil water notice will not be lifted until the water reaching homes and businesses will be safe to drink and use.
Dunkley said the city has been able to bring the treatment plant back into compliance with state regulations for suitable water for drinking and cooking. Now, the city must obtain satisfactory bacteriological analyses on at least two sets of water samples collected throughout the distribution system.
Samples, he said, were collected Monday night. A second set of samples were collected Tuesday morning.
“These tests take 24 hours to complete before results are available,” Dunkley said. “As soon as results are available, the city will work with the state and local officials concerning the lifting of the boil water notice.”
While the notice is in effect, boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation, and making ice until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Boiling is the preferred method to assure that the tap water is safe to drink. Bring all tap water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
If you cannot boil your tap water….
• An alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity available is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼ teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.
• Water purification tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.
The water may be turbid/muddy and at a lower pressure than normal until the situation is corrected.