What are the different types of Water Advisories, and what do they mean?
Boil Water Advisory: A Boil Water Advisory is a public statement advising customers to boil tap water before consuming it. Advisories are issued when an event occurs that may cause the water distribution system to become contaminated, such as a loss of pressure from a water main break or back siphonage event. If the affected area is small we can restore water quality by flushing hydrants; but if the area is large we cannot do this effectively. In this circumstance we cannot guarantee the quality of the drinking water until the system is repressurized and we have completed testing. That testing takes 24 hours so we suggest that people may want to boil their water until the tests are complete and indicate that the water is safe. Boiling the water will kill any bacteria that may be present in the water, including disease-causing microorganisms like Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium, which are frequently found in rivers and lakes. An advisory does not mean that the water is contaminated,
