[R]esidents of Burlington’s South End have been put on a boil water notice. The city issued the alert Tuesday morning for residents and businesses south of the Shelburne Road and Clymer Street intersection, and Flynn Avenue.
A valve in the city’s water system broke Tuesday night and depressurized the system. Water pressure was restored to the area by 10:30 a.m., but there is still the possibility water was contaminated with bacteria or other harmful organisms as a result of the valve break.
Those in the affected area are instructed to use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes or food preparation, according to a news release issued by the Burlington Department of Public Works.
The boil water notice is expected to be lifted early tomorrow afternoon.
Water users are instructed to bring all drinking water to a boil for one minute and to let it cool before using. Bottled water can also be used.
Megan Moir, the Water Resources Division director, said during a media call at noon on Tuesday that the situation is largely a “precautionary measure.”
She said any contaminants would have had to been sucked back into the larger distribution system while it was depressurized. An example could be a garden hose left in a puddle.
“There would have to be a number of things that happened all at the same time during this time period, for that to have occurred,” Moir said of contamination.
Hydrants in the area have been flushed to bring chlorinated water back, and recent tests have been positive. In order to lift the boil water notice, per state regulations, the Department of Public Works needs to confirm there are no harmful bacteria samples in the water. Moir said the samples have been sent to the lab, but have a turnaround time of 18 hours.
The investigation to determine the cause of the depressurization is ongoing, but officials say it’s likely related to various infrastructure projects currently underway in the South End. There was planned work last night to renew a service line off Shelburne Road.
“Today’s event is completely unfortunate, but it exists within a historic level of investment,” said Robert Goulding, the department’s public information manager. “There’s a lot of work going on to ensure a healthy, sustainable drinking water system that goes forward well into the 21st century.”
The Department of Public Works is making bottled water available to those with medical challenges or other issues that prevent people from boiling water. You can contact the department at (802) 863-4501.
