Boil Water Advisory Issued for Hellertown

UPDATE, 9pm: The Saucon Valley School District announced Tuesday evening that bottled water will be made available to students in classrooms Wednesday and Thursday, as well as for athletes. The restriction on students bringing their own bottled water to school will be lifted for the remainder of the week because of the current advisory, the district said. To make tap water safe for consumption, it should be brought to a boil and allowed to boil for at least a minute, before being cooled.

As of Tuesday afternoon a boil water advisory has been issued for Hellertown Borough Authority customers, and it may be in place for some time.

In a statement, the authority said a breakdown in the equipment that provides "continuous disinfection" of the public water supply was discovered Monday night.

"Because of this breakdown, there is an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms," the statement said.

Authority customers are being asked not to drink tap water without boiling it first.

Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes, food preparation and making ice until further notice.

The authority said that once the breakdown in its equipment was discovered, steps were immediately taken to remove the non-disinfected water from the system.

"However, there is a possibility that non-disinfected water may have reached the public distribution system," the authority said.

Organisms that can live in water that has not been properly disinfected can include bacteria, viruses and parasites that can cause physical symptoms such as cramps, diarrhea, headaches and nausea.

Individuals with compromised immune systems, infants and the elderly may be at increased risk of developing symptoms if they are exposed to these organisms, however the authority's statement stressed that "loss of disinfection does not automatically mean that disease-causing organisms are present in the water."

Anyone who experiences physical symptoms should seek medical advice.

The authority said it will provide further information when tests show that the water supply is bacteria-free and there is no longer a need to boil water.

However, it is expected that "at a minimum it will be several days until the boil water notice is lifted," the authority said.

For questions and concerns, the authority can be contacted at 610-838-8051.