by Robin Kemp
The Clayton County Water Authority has issued a boil water advisory for residents of Hampton and Lovejoy.
“Due to a water main break caused by a contractor, Clayton County Water Authority advises customers in the Lovejoy/Hampton area, east of Tara Boulevard from McDonough Road to Talmadge Road and west of Tara Boulevard on Talmadge Road and Fuller Street, to boil their drinking water prior to consumption,” said CCWA spokesperson Suzanne Brown. “This is a precautionary measure due to a complete loss of pressure in the pipe. This boil water advisory will be in effect until late Thursday.”
Brown said CCWA has called affected customers and that other parts of Clayton County were not impacted.
What should you do?
CCWA says you should boil water and let it cool, or else use bottled water for drinking, brushing your teeth, washing fruits and vegetables, prepping baby food and formula, making ice, or watering your pets.
The best way to boil water, Brown said, is to fill a pot and heat it until the bubbles rise quickly from the bottom to the top. Let it boil for one more minute, then turn off the heat and let the water cool. Then, pour the water into a clean, sanitized container with a cover and store it.
What’s going on now?
CCWA distribution maintenance crews are fixing the water main, Brown said. Once that’s done, they will flush and disinfect the pipe and take water samples to see if the water is safe to drink. It should take about 24 hours to get the results from those samples.
Georgia Environmental Protection Division has been notified, she added.
How long will this go on?
Brown said CCWA officials will have an update by 12 noon on Wednesday, August 25 but that the boil water advisory likely will continue until late Thursday, August 26.
More information
Customers can check www.ccwa.us and CCWA’s Facebook page for updates and information.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more information on boil water advisories at https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html
