Boil Water Advisories

Drinking Water Advisories

Drinking water advisories are issued to protect people’s health and to warn them about water quality issues on a certain water supply system.

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Drinking Water Advisories in Effect

Community Date Type of Advisory Reason for Advisory
Colville Lake Jun. 6, 2004 Boil Water Advisory

Unable to meet maintenance requirements:

Due to issues with staffing capacity and infrastructure maintenance the community has an on-going boil water advisory until the regulatory requirements can be met.

Types of Water Advisories

There are 3 types of drinking water advisories:

  • boil water advisories
  • do not consume advisories
  • do not use advisories

Boil Water Advisories

Boil water advisories are issued when the water has a risk of containing pathogens. These advisories warm the public to treat their tap water by bringing it to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before they:

  • drink the water
  • use the water for other purposes, such as to:
    • Cook
    • feed pets
    • brush their teeth
    • make soups or ice cubes
    • wash fruits and vegetables
    • make infant formula or other drinks

Precautionary boil water advisories are issued when water may be unsafe but no illnesses or samples have detected presence of bacteria in the water. For example, high turbidity (which is a measure of the cloudiness or haziness) in water can interfere with the disinfection process of the drinking water to a point where it can no longer be assured.

Do Not Consume Water Advisories

Do not consume advisories, also called do not drink advisories, are issued when the water has been contaminated with a harmful chemical or toxin, and when boiling water will not make it safe. These advisories warn the public to not use their tap water to:

  • Cook
  • Drink
  • Feed pets
  • Brush their teeth
  • Make soups or ice cubes
  • Wash fruits and vegetables
  • Make infant formula or other drinks

Do Not Use Water Advisories

Do not use advisories warn the public that they should not use their tap water for any reason. A do not use advisory is issued when:

  • using the water poses a health risk
  • the water system has pollutants that can't be removed through boiling
  • being exposed to the water through bathing could, perhaps due to a chemical spill, irritate the:
    • skin
    • eyes
    • nose

Lifted Drinking Water Advisories

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