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On Wednesday, December 27, morning, Northwest Hillsborough County, officials announced that a boil water notice would be issued as a precautionary measure because of the breaking of a water main.
The 24-inch main broke alongside Ehrlich Road near Summerwind Drive. Residents and businesses in Northwest Hillsborough County are said to be affected by the water main break.
A boil water notice may be of two kinds, a precautionary notice and a mandatory notice; the one issued in this instance is a precautionary notice. A precautionary boil water notice advises customers and businesses in the affected area to boil the water they use for any consumption or even cleansing.
It's issued when there's a chance of the drinking water system getting contaminated.
Hillsborough County issues map of areas affected by boil water notice
Northwest Hillsborough County was struck with a contamination scare when a 24-inch water main along Ehrlich Road near Summerwind Drive broke, leading to the issuing of a boil water notice.
The Hillsborough County Water Resources issued the warning to customers and businesses who are part of the HCPUD Northwest drinking water system. Due to the main break, the water distribution system's minimum water pressure dropped below the required regulatory levels in some areas of the county.
A notice issued by Hillsborough County said that around 23,368 residential spaces and businesses were affected by the notice. The notice also issued a mapped outline of the affected areas. Here's the map:
As mentioned in the introduction, there are two kinds of boil water notices, a mandatory notice and a precautionary notice, the latter of which is in effect in this instance.
Most notices are precautionary, and it's a simple advice for customers to boil all water before consumption. They are issued when there's a small chance of the water system experiencing backflow or being infiltrated by bacteria.
According to the Hillsborough County website, such an instance is usually caused due to a water line break, and low or a complete lack of water pressure. These are only issued for an "abundance of caution". The Hillsborough County notice regarding the current water break said:
"This notice means customers in impacted areas are advised, as a precautionary measure, to boil all tap water used for cooking, drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, or washing dishes."
"A full rolling boil for 1 minute is sufficient; cool before using. Allow the water to run until it is clear before washing clothes. Discard any ice from automatic ice makers. As an alternative, bottled water may be used."
The notice confirmed that there were no instances of contamination at the time but still advised residents and businesses to boil their water before use as a precautionary measure, until the issuing of a rescission notice.
A recession notice will be issued in the same manner as a boil water notice, once all the requisite testing is complete. The website said that rescission notices usually take 48 hours to be issued.
Unlike this case, a mandatory boil water notice is issued as not just advice but as an instruction to residents to boil tap water before use. These notices are only issued when the water system is contaminated with the contaminants exceeding regulatory levels, as determined by water tests.
