BOIL WATER NOTICE LIFTED
According to the Mississippi State Department of Health, the boil water alert for the town of Webb that was issued earlier this week was cancelled today (Aug. 30).
MSDH notes, “Water from this system is now safe to drink.”
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Webb Mayor Tracy Mims announced shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday (Aug. 26) that the Town of Webb "is under a boil water alert until further notice."
This affects 657 customers.
Water system officials notified the Mississippi State Department of Health of a systemwide pressure loss due to one or more line breaks.
When a distribution system loses pressure, contaminants can siphon back into the water. Public health officials consider any system that loses pressure contaminated until tests prove otherwise. Health officials strongly recommend that all water be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed.
The water system will be notified when tests show that the water is safe to drink.
The Mississippi State Department of Health announces the following precautions for people whose water system has issued a boil water alert:
If you are under a boil-water notice:
» Do not drink tap water.
» Do not use ice made from recent tap water.
» Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
» Cook with tap water ONLY if food is boiled for at least one minute.
» Wash dishes, fruits and vegetables in boiled water or water that has been disinfected with bleach. Using your home dishwasher is not recommended.
» Brush your teeth with boiled or bottled water.
» Wash your hands and bathe as usual. Bathing is safe as long as no water is swallowed.
» Wash laundry as usual. Laundry washed in hot or cold water is safe.
Disinfecting Water
Bring water to a rolling boil for 1 minute to kill most organisms.
If you cannot boil your water, mix eight drops (1/8 teaspoon) of unscented, ordinary household chlorine bleach (5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite) per gallon of water. Mix the solution thoroughly, and let stand for about 30 minutes. (This treatment will kill bacteria, but not parasitic organisms.) If water is muddy or cloudy, remove sediment by straining it through a cloth or filter paper before disinfecting.
Alternatively, water may be treated with chlorine or iodine tablets.
If you cannot boil your water, mix eight drops (1/8 teaspoon) of unscented, ordinary household chlorine bleach per gallon of water. Mix the solution thoroughly, and let stand for about 30 minutes before using.
When your boil-water notice is lifted:
» Flush faucets for a total of 10 minutes to introduce system water throughout house plumbing.
Example:
1 faucet — run for 10 minutes
2 faucets — run both for 5 minutes
3 faucets — run each for 3-4 minutes
» Flush any faucet a minimum of 2 minutes to ensure clearing of the line serving the faucet.
» Discard any drinks, ice, food, etc, made during the boil water notice.
» Rewash any food or drink contact items (knives, forks, plates, etc.) with cleared system water.
» Check water filters (in faucets, refrigerators and elsewhere) and replace if necessary.
» Do not use water from your hot water heater for drinking until several exchanges of the tank have occurred.
» Run dishwasher through a cycle or two before washing dishes.
For more information, contact the MSDH Bureau of Public Water Supply by calling 601-576-7518.
