Water In Rochester Hills Still Unsafe To Drink

ROCHESTER HILLS, MI — The Boil Water Advisory for the City of Rochester Hills is still in effect for the area north of Tienken and west of Livernois and will remain in effect until at least Thursday afternoon, city officials said Wednesday morning. These are precautionary actions after there was a loss of water pressure in the water distribution system on July 9.

Residents in that area are asked to bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food, city officials said.

Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice. It is not necessary to boil tap water used for other household purposes, such as showering, laundry or bathing, however.

What happens now

The pressure of the water system was restored the following day, but precautionary measures are recommended whenever a loss of pressure occurs, for any length of time.

City personnel are collecting samples from around the system to send to the Oakland County Health Division, which will then determine if the water quality meets the state drinking water standards.

The results from the Oakland County Health Division lab analysis so far stated that one water sample was unsatisfactory. A boil water advisory will remain in effect until results from the second set of testing confirm that no contamination exists, city officials said.

“Ensuring a clean water supply is critical as the safety of our citizens is our highest priority,” Mayor Bryan Barnett said in a statement. “This boil water notice shall remain in effect until results from the sampling verify the water is safe to drink.”

Resources

For a list of frequently asked questions on water boil advisories, visit https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/dwa-comm-toolbox/before/tools/QA-for-Boil-Water-Advisories.docx

For more information, contact the City of Rochester Hills at 248-656-4685 or at DPS@rochesterhills.org.

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