While boil-water notices are not that uncommon, for the citizens of Flint, it is just another in a long line of cruel and unending jokes. For many households already using filters, they now must boil the water says Newser.
A water main break caused a drop in the city’s water pressure, prompting city officials on Tuesday evening to notify residents that “bacterial contamination may have occurred.” The area affected by the notice included a large section of Clio and North Center roads.
Those households using filters on their taps were told to boil water for one minute and let it cool before drinking it. For those households that don’t have a filter installed on their taps, the city advisory said the taps must be flushed for at least seven minutes before collecting water to boil, reports CNN.
For residents that don’t have a filter installed on their taps, it’s a question of why boil water you’re not going to drink? The city says that air and sediment could be in the water pipes because of the low pressure, and people with filters should not flush their systems because any sediment could clog the filters, making them ineffective.
The Detroit News is reporting that Flint’s water department said in a press statement: The department “is working to get pressure restored, and water staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system. The release added: “The samples will be taken to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standards.”
The city said it would inform citizens when the advisory is lifted.