Boil Water Notices…Now What?

Not all Water Shut Offs require Boil Water Notices. Our professional Staff can do repairs under low pressure trying to avoid boiling water requirements. This is the ideal scenario but in other cases water “may” become contaminated with soil and bacteria at the break. Boil Water Notices are considered “precautionary.” Either way they should be followed due to exposure to bacteria.

When buildings turn their water off intentionally for repairs to equipment or unit owner construction you do not need to boil your water. I get this a lot due to the fact pipe sediment can build up and then get flushed out. Sediment in water can look disgusting, but it is not bacteria. I certainly would not drink it. I tell residents to run their water a bit until it is totally flushed out of the system.

These breaks are unfortunate and can be for various reasons. A faulty valve can leak loose soil conditions around the valve and weaken the line then it breaks. This can also happen simply with old water main lines. This is why we are proactively replacing water mains throughout the city. We are also adding valves so less customers are impacted when there is a break.

The lines called lateral connections to buildings can also break. In this case it requires Water Shut Offs to the building. It can also mean shut offs in the surrounding areas. Within the system there are a series of valves depending on where the water value is located within the main. This is what happened with the Golden Isles break.

If a break is located past the Water Meter on the building side the condominium is required to do the repair. This is the same for any type of property. Water and Sewer Lines beyond the meter are the owner’s responsibility.

Before last Friday’s break on Golden Isles, we had an incident at the Hemispheres. There was a leak on their side of the meter and it actually created a sinkhole around the leak. It was repaired but all the water had to be shut off. We also have had many planned shut offs on Three Islands during the replacement project. They have been on a Boil Water Notice for a couple of weeks.

So, what if you receive a Boil Water Notice? You cannot use water for consumption. It must be brought to a rolling boil first. You can use it for washing, dishwasher, laundry, and other cleaning tasks. The Boil Water Notice cannot be lifted until two clean tests come back, confirming the water is safe. It is typical that the notices only last 48 hours. Our Staff really works hard to get the test results back as soon as they can.

So, what happens if you do not get a notice? First, if you drink the water not knowing, you could suffer from diarrhea and/or vomiting. This would be the worst-case scenario. Remember it is precautionary so the water may or may not be impacted. If it continues you should see a healthcare provider.

What is more important is you need to sign up for notifications. We are proactive when it comes to notifications. We cannot make residents sign up but like the saying goes, “better safe than sorry.” We use various methods. We will post on our City's Website, and Social Media accounts. Depending on the area and type of break we may do a robocall. You can sign up on our website at: www.cohb.org. I also like to follow up and send out notices on my Social Media: @MayorCooper, Facebook at: Friends of Mayor Joy Cooper.

We are doing our part to upgrade our systems. We know it is messy and often inconvenient, but these projects are taking us into the future! We are protecting our Water and Sewer Resources for years to come.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our City a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at: Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share!