All public water customers in Monroe County under boil advisory

Editor's note: The boil water advisory is no longer in effect for most of Monroe County.

The latest: Boil water advisory for Monroe County no longer in effect

All households receiving water from the city of Bloomington are under a precautionary boil water order after the city utility violated a drinking water standard on Friday.

The boil water advisory remains in effect until 9 a.m. Monday. The boil water advisory includes all households in Monroe County connected to a water utility.

What happened to cause the boil water order?

On Friday regular monitoring found the turbidity level of drinking water at the federal maximum of 1 unit, City of Bloomington Utilities reported in a news release Saturday. A high turbidity measure indicates drinking water could contain higher levels of disease-causing organisms.

According to the news release, sand being prepared to use in a new filter spilled out of its tank at the water treatment plant which caused the increase in turbidity. CBU staff have monitored the water since the spill and the turbidity measure has been slowly decreasing, the city reported.

The city stated no contaminants have been detected in the water.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) requires all public water systems to issue a precautionary Boil Water Advisory when the turbidity is detected at one unit or above. All Monroe County residents should follow these instructions:

• If you have cloudy water, run COLD water from a sink or tub until clear water flows from the faucet.
• Boil all water used for drinking, cooking, and oral hygiene for at least 2 minutes prior to consumption.
• It is not necessary to boil water for other uses.

What is the risk associated with high turbidity?

According to CBU, turbidity has no health effects. However, suspended particles that cause turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea and associated headaches. If you experience one or more of these symptoms and they persist, contact your doctor. People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and boiled for two minutes.

In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water.

How can I receive emergency alerts?

Go to co.monroe.in.us and click “Resident Alert Sign Up.” This tool enables CBU and other government offices to provide people with critical information quickly, including tornado warnings and advisories about road closures, missing persons, and evacuations specific to the addresses you register or the county as a whole. Messages can be sent via text, email, or home phone.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: All public water customers in Monroe County under boil advisory