Boil water advisories are issued as a precaution with a customer's best interests in mind. During a boil water advisory, the water is okay for the customer to bathe, wash clothes and other common needs. However, as a precaution water should be boiled for five minutes before eating, drinking or cooking. State law requires water utilities to issue boil water advisories to ensure high-quality water in the event water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch (PSI) in any part of the distribution system. Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) oversees the boil water advisories. Water pressure drops in a distribution system can occur because of many reasons such as power outages, main breaks, repairs, mechanical failure and high demand.
Water usage guidelines
- Drink and cook: Use commercially bottled water or boil tap water to a full rolling boil for at least five minutes.
- All water used in beverages such as coffee or tea
- All water used as an ingredient in any consumable product
- All water used to make consumable ice
- All water used for washing of produce
- Brushing teeth: Use bottled or boiled water only.
- Ice and beverages: Discard all ice cubes and frozen beverages made from tap water. Make new ice only with safe water.
- Dishwashing: Some dishwashers are safe to use if they have a hot water or sanitizing cycle.
- Bathing and showering: You can use tap water for bathing and showering, but be careful to avoid swallowing it. Young children can be given sponge baths to prevent them from drinking the water.
- Laundry: Laundry can be done using the tap water.
Important reminders
- Shut off/bypass water softeners: Keeping the softener running may allow contaminated water to enter your supply, so you should rely on boiled and bottled water during a boil water advisory. When you bypass the softener, you stop questionable water from flowing through the unit, which helps protect it from damage and contamination.
- Do not rely on filters: Do not assume that your water filter will remove all contaminants. If you have a water filtration system installed into your water line, we advise that you shut if off until boil advisory is lifted. It is not guaranteed that using a filtered in-line unit will remove all contaminants and it can cause damage to your filtered system.
- Visual cues: To prevent accidental consumption, you can turn off your water or block access to refrigerator water dispensers and faucets.
During the boil water advisory, customers will be notified by text, email, Facebook and the local water utility's website with updates. Also, during the advisory water lines are flushed and water samples taken from several sites within the affected area for chlorine, bacteriological and turbidity analysis. The boil water advisory will remain in effect until water quality tests confirm the water is safe for customer consumption. This usually ranges between 24-48 hours (Weekends and Holidays may delay results). Whenever the pressure drops below 20 PSI, there is a possibility that microbiological contamination can occur which means materials from outside the water line gets into the main causing the contamination. Precautionary boil water advisories are to ensure public safety and it is a responsibility that B&B Water Project takes very seriously.
