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GC Water Customers Under Boil Notice

From staff reports

Gate City and Daniel Boone water customers are under a boil notice which is expected to remain in effect until Friday, June 30.

[Read the notice printed in the Scott County Virginia Star print edition.]

According to Gate City Town Manager Jason Stewart, a chemical pump at the town’s water plant failed around 4 a.m. on Monday. By Monday afternoon, local residents and businesses were being notified to boil their drinking water prior to consumption.

Stewart confirmed that hundreds of local customers were calling Gate City’s Town Hall with questions about the boil notice but he assured the move was a “pre-cautionary” measure.

The newspaper was notified by fax yesterday morning that the Virginia Department of Health in conjunction with the Lenowisco Health Department, the Town of Gate City and the Daniel Boone/Scott County PSA Water Systems advised customers to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution.

According to the faxed release, water was inadequately treated and might cause stomach or intestinal illness.

Stewart said the town council discussed the faulty pump at last night’s adjourned meeting of the board and they are expected to begin an investigation into the pump’s failure.

Currently Virginia Department of Health officials are testing water at different pump sites which may cause the notice to extend to Friday, he added.

According to officials, boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation and making ice until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water and is the preferred method to assure the water is safe for human consumption.

To ensure your water is safe, be sure to bring the water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute and then let it cool. Residents who don’t want to boil their tap water should use bottled water.

If you cannot boil your tap water especially for residents that don’t have gas or electricity available can use liquid bleach to disinfect the water. The bleach product must be recently purchased, free of additives and scents and contain a hypochlorite solution of 5.25 percent.

Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about 1/8 teaspoon) to each gallon of water. Water treated with bleach should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.

Water purification tablets can also be used but residents should follow manufacturer’s directions.

Once the boil notice is lifted, health officials will notify local residents.

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