Water boil order issued for rural Henry County

A large water main break occurred Wednesday on Franklin Avenue, necessitating a boil order from Mt. Pleasant Municipal Utilities (MPMU) being issued.

The order affects the area from the intersection of Highway 34 west (235th Street) and Goodyear Road extending west to and including the City of Westwood.

Area also impacted is from the intersection of Franklin Avenue and Highway 34 west (235th Street) extending south to the intersection of Oakland Mills Road (including the Oakland Mills community).

Those in the impacted area should not drink water without boiling it first. Water should be brought to a boil, let it boil for one minute and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, Washington dishes and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

MPMU anticipates the boil order being lifted Sunday, Sept. 7.

The order was issued Thursday at 5 p.m. as a precautionary measure. When the damaged section of water main is placed back into service, it will be necessary to take two separate sets of water samples 24 hours apart to be tested for potential bacterial contamination.

Upon final receipt of both sets of test results, MPMU will issue a public notice lifting the boil order when tests show no bacteria.

For more information, contact MPMU at 319-385-2121. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.