Oconee Co updates boil water advisory

Oconee County Water Resources says the boil water advisory put in place Thursday comes on the heels of a Wednesday water main break at Bear Creek Reservoir. Water service that was disrupted for the much of the County was restored mid-morning Thursday. Officials in Watkinsville say the boil water advisory is effect until water testing is completed.

From the Oconee Co government website…

Oconee County Water Resources has issued a Boil Water Advisory due to disruption of service in the 24″ transmission line from Bear Creek Reservoir to Oconee County, which may be disrupting your water supply or causing water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to very low levels. The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution – there is the potential a health hazard may exist due to microbial contamination in areas without positive pressure.

In order to protect the public from a potential health hazard, all Oconee County Water Resources customers are advised to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, cooking, or preparing food.

To properly boil tap water for use, customers should:

• Heat water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the container;
• Continue heating the water for one minute once it begins to boil;
• Remove the water from the heat source and allow to cool before use.

During a Boil Water Advisory, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that boiled tap water or bottled water be used for the following:

• Drinking
• Brushing teeth
• Washing food and preparing food and baby formula
• Making ice
• Drinking water for pets

Other activities such as washing clothes, washing dishes, and other uses can be done without boiling tap water, if done properly. The complete CDC guidance can be found at this website: https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html

The advisory is in effect until the appropriate testing has been completed. This boil water advisory will be in effect for at least the next 24 hours. Customers will be notified immediately when the Advisory is lifted.  Once the Advisory is lifted you should flush all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using for drinking or food preparation.

Please contact Oconee County Water Resources at 706-769-3960 if you have any concerns. We will keep our citizens updated on progress on our website www.oconeecounty.com

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