Boil water notice issued after power outage causes ‘citywide’ water outage in Bradenton

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — After an early-morning power outage caused a citywide water outage in Bradenton on Sunday, the city said power has been restored.

However, a boil water notice is still in effect as a safety measure.

The Bradenton Police Department said that on Sunday morning, the city’s Water Treatment Plant lost power, resulting in widespread low water pressure and outages.

Bradenton landlord Johnny Daley was one of the thousands of people impacted.

“On the way in I got several calls and texts from some of my tenants that were asking me when the water was going to be back on,” Daley said.

The city’s generators are running, but police said it may take a while for water to fully restore pressure. The city issued a 48-hour precautionary boil water notice.

“I was worried that we had a water main break or that someone had tampered with the water lines here so as soon as I got here I started checking the main lines as well as inside the buildings,” Daley said. “I went through and found that, yeah we had water, but it was just really really low pressure.”

The police department released a statement around 8 a.m. saying its 911 dispatchers and non-emergency lines had been inundated with calls regarding a “widespread water outage” in West Bradenton.

Public Works told police they are aware of the outage and are attempting to locate, assess, and rectify the issue.

“It was like spurting,” Bradenton local Thomas Schwarz said. “It was high, then low, then high then normal, then low, then normal, then low.”

Schwarz was most concerned about hydration and a shower as he walked his dog in 90-degree weather.

“We have to keep hydrated because of the heat and my dog has to keep hydrated. I’ve had problems before with him not being hydrated.”

The city said their potable water remains safe to drink but the possibility there has been contamination all Bradenton residents and businesses are under a boil water notice.

Residents are also encouraged to conserve their water to help the system stabilize.

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