LEWISTON, Idaho — The Boil Water Alert Order that the City of Lewiston put into effect on Wednesday for some areas of Lewiston after a reservoir failure led to property damage in some areas of town is expected to remain in effect through the weekend.
The Department of Environmental Quality allowed the city of Lewiston to lift the order for customers that are no longer served by the damaged reservoir after it was terminated that the reservoir failure "was an isolated event that was not related to any improvements that have been underway to the overall water system in the City of Lewiston." However, the order remains in place in some areas of the city.
The purpose of the boil water order is precautionary, in order to protect the users of the water system. The city reported on Friday that all water samples have come back clean, and the city crew is working to draw water from other sources within the system for its customers.
A water filling station was established at the Lewiston Community Center for customers that may be in need of clean drinking water. Residents will need to bring their own water containers to the water filling station. The station will be open Sunday from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The city is advising residents affected by the Boil Water Alert Order to follow these procedures:
What you should do:
- Draw water from the tap and bring it to a roiling boil for 3 minutes.
- Instead of boiling, you may add ⅛ teaspoon household bleach per gallon of water and let it sit for half an hour.
- Drink bottled water, if possible.
- Wash fruits and vegetables with water that has been boiled or disinfected, or with bottled water.
- Wash dishes and laundry as usual.
- Wash your hands and bathe as usual.
- Animals can get sick from the same germs and pathogens as people can from the water. Give your pets bottled water or boiled water that has cooled.
What you shouldn't do:
- Don’t drink water straight from the tap.
- Don’t use ice from ice trays, ice dispensers, or ice makers.
- Don't brush your teeth with tap water.
- Don’t trust your filter. Most water filters typically do not remove bacteria.
- Don't cook with tap water.
- Don't use tap water in your coffee pot.
The city launched a map showing the areas where the Boil Water Alert Order has been lifted and where it still remains in effect.
The map highlights three separate sections of the city of Lewiston.:
- The section in red shows the area that should continue following the boil water alert order.
- The section in green shows the area where the order has been lifted.
- The section in blue shows the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District area, which is not affected. Click here to see the map.
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