BOIL WATER NOTICE IN EFFECT FOR McDOWELL
McDOWELL — The Highland County Board of Supervisors has just issued the following "boil water" notice to residents of McDowell on the county water system there:
BOIL YOUR TAP WATER NOTICE TO MCDOWELL WATER SYSTEM CUSTOMERS
FROM THE HIGHLAND COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.
Due to an unexpected drop in water flow from Well No. 2, which has been the main source for the McDowell Water System, it will be necessary to begin using Well No. 3 to maintain adequate water levels to operate the system.
Well No. 3 was deemed under the influence of surface water and has been offline for several months.
Usage of Well No. 3 means that you will be required to boil your tap water for drinking and cooking effective immediately. Also, you may notice higher levels of chlorine within your water.
We will be maintaining a higher free chlorine concentration as long as this notice is in effect.
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. Boiling is the preferred method to assure that the tap water is safe to drink. Bring all tap water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.
We will inform you when you no longer need to boil your water.
If you have any questions, please call (540) 468-2347 or cell phone (540) 292-2337.