Montgomery County boil water advisory extended
Montgomery County residents frustrated as boil water advisory extended
Hank Flynn reports from Norristown
NORRISTOWN, Pa. - Norristown, and parts of 10 other towns are boiling their water as a broken water main Monday placed clean water in jeopardy.
Commissioners are advising restaurants to close until things are back to normal. The communities just want to know when they can stop boiling their water.
“You live in Norristown?” asked FOX 29’s Hank Flynn.
“Yes, I do,” replied resident Stan.
“You better boil that water,” Flynn remarked.
“Oh, that water is getting boiled,” Stan answered.
RELATED: Boil water advisory issued in parts of Montgomery County after water main break
A busted 24-inch water main in Norristown affects 30,000 people, including Stan. The boil water advisory is wrecking lunch at his favorite Chinese spot.
“I knew about the water main break. I didn’t know about the restaurants. For some reason, it just didn’t click with me,” Stan commented.
Getting food isn’t hard. Montgomery County Commissioners say food facilities should close under a boil water advisory, unless they’ve got an alternative water source. Mona says she only needs water for washing at her chicken shack, which is permitted.
“Cleaning dishes, cleaning floor, cleaning sinks. Washing hands and cleaning chicken, that’s it,” Mona said.
American Water states this is standard operating procedure when a water main break occurs.
“This is a precautionary advisory. It doesn’t mean that there’s any evidence at all that water quality has been impacted,” Laura Martin, with American Water, explained.
How long will the advisory last? Martin says two days of clean samples are needed.
“So, it won’t be today. We are hopeful it will be tomorrow. It could be Thursday, it depends on the timing of all those samples and when they come in that that DEP gives us the all-clear to lift the advisory,” Martin said.
The cause of the water main break is under investigation.
For more information, including a map of areas impacted by the advisory, click here.
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