Florida Residents Told to Boil Drinking Water out of 'Abundance of Caution'

Residents in over 23,000 properties near Tampa, Florida, have been told to boil their water before using it "out of an abundance of caution" after a water main burst, officials have said.

Hillsborough County Water Resources told people living in parts of the Citrus Park, Carrollwood, Bearss Glen, Avila and Tiffany Lake Manor neighborhoods on Wednesday to sterilize their tap water for cooking, drinking, making ice, brushing teeth or washing dishes following the break.

Officials stressed that there was "no indication of contamination at this time" and the order was "a precautionary measure until a rescission notice is issued" after testing the water system is completed.

A Hillsborough County Water Resources spokesperson told Newsweek that it hoped to have the repair work completed by Saturday, and that it had been able to isolate the affected section of pipe so water had been restored to all customers.

They added that the utility provider was required to complete two consecutive days of testing, each taking 18 hours, and expected the first set of test results by Friday morning.

When water mains break, there is a risk of contaminants entering the water supply, ranging from dirt that can discolor the water to pathogens such as norovirus or E. coli that can infect those who come in contact with the affected water carrying them.

In August, one Florida scientist told Newsweek that there was an increased risk of contracting serious diseases due to an increase in pathogens in the water supply following hurricane-caused flooding.

Earlier the same month, residents in southern California were told to boil their drinking water over fears of E. coli contamination, while over 150,000 Michigan residents were told to do the same after a three-foot break in a water main.

"Disinfection and pressure requirements were restored within minutes of the initial break and have remained in regulatory compliance levels," the Hillsborough County Water Resources spokesperson said. "We do not anticipate contamination to be found.

"In the event that contamination is found, customers would remain under a boil water notice, the County would complete additional flushing and the two days of testing would start again."

Hillsborough County said earlier on Wednesday that a two-foot break had occurred in a water main running along Ehrlich Road, near the Pennington Village area and Brushy Creek. Following the incident, the water distribution system dropped below the required regulatory level in some parts served by it, prompting the notice.

Officials said an estimated 23,368 buildings, both residential and commercial, being served by the Hillsborough County Public Utilities Department northwest system, were thought to be impacted by the notice.

They urged residents to also discard any ice made with automated ice machines and run water until it is clear before washing clothes—or use bottled water for household needs as an alternative.

Some residents questioned how the incident had been handled by county officials. Deborah Connell Nagorka asked on social media: "The water main broke before 6 this morning and [it] takes 10 hours to send out the notice?"

Meanwhile, Nessie Chandler said locals "pay A LOT for water" and so "the least you could do is make sure our water is safe."

The Hillsborough County Water Resources spokesperson said county water plant staff noticed the water system's pressure going down around 6 a.m. ET and increased water pumping "immediately, which is why the low pressure lasted for less than two minutes for most of the impacted area."

At the same time, calls reporting the break began arriving; staff attended the site of the burst main by 6:50 a.m. that morning and had closed isolation valves by 8 a.m. They said a press release was issued by 10:41 a.m. and communicated the boil water notice to residents through various means.

"[The] safety of the water is always Hillsborough County's top priority," the spokesperson added. "Precautionary boil water notices are issued in an abundance of caution and it does not mean there is an indication of contamination."

Update 12/29/23, 3:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from a Hillsborough County Water Resources spokesperson.