Update 9:30 a.m. 8/14/2020: A second boil alert for Friday, August 14 has been issued by the Columbus Department of Public Utilities due to another power outage affecting the Dublin Road Water Plant. The boil advisory affects the same Columbus neighborhoods as earlier this week.
The Department of Public Utilities wrote on Facebook:
This only affects drinking and cooking. The water is fine to wash your hands, shower with etc. Also, in the event any contamination did occur, which is rare on these but we have to issue it as a precautionary advisory, using a filter would not be advisable. Until lab results are back, which normally takes about 24 hours, we don’t know if or what might have entered the water supply in this area to know if a filter would work for it so it’s best to err on the side or caution.
Columbus Public Utilities Facebook Page
Update 3:30 p.m. 8/12/2020: The boil advisory issued for Downtown Columbus and surrounding neighborhoods on Tuesday, August 11 has now been lifted.
Per the Columbus Department of Public Utilities:
On 8/11/2020 a precautionary boil water advisory was issued due to a drop in water pressure caused by a power outage at the Dublin Road Water Plant, for homes and businesses within these boundaries: North: King Avenue, West: Dublin Road/33 to Central Avenue, South: I-270, East: Parsons Avenue. After sampling and testing of the water from this area, no contamination was found. The boil water advisory is now cancelled and is no longer necessary. For questions call Customer Service at 614-645-8276 or the Water Quality Assurance Lab at 614-645-7691.
We thank you for your patience and comments. For those that made future notification suggestions, we offer this statement on behalf of the department: “The Columbus Department of Public Utilities notifies our customers through local media partners as required by the Ohio EPA and also uses social media and web. We’re exploring other alert systems and are always looking for ways to improve customer service.”
Columbus Public Utilities Facebook Page
Per the Columbus Department of Public Utilities:
The Columbus Department of Public Utilities is advising customers of a boil alert due to a power outage affecting the Dublin Road Water Plant. As a precautionary measure, customers in the following area are advised to bring all water used for cooking and drinking to a rolling boil for one minute until further notice. This boil advisory will affect customers only in the following area (see map below):
- North: King Avenue
- West: Dublin Road/33 to Central Avenue
- South: I-270
- East: Parsons Avenue
In lieu of boiling, bottled water may be used for drinking water until the advisory is lifted for this area. The media will be notified of a boil water cancellation after the Division of Water has completed necessary sampling and analyses of the water in this area to ensure safe consumption. If Columbus water customers have questions, they should call Customer Service at 614-645-8276.
The following additional information is required by the Ohio EPA in this advisory:
This event may also cause additional disruptions in water quality including discolored water and/or potentially a temporary increase in lead levels in the drinking water. As a standard practice the USEPA recommends the following actions to reduce possible lead exposure in drinking water:
- If water has not been used for several hours, run the tap until there is a noticeable temperature drop. Then, run water for 30 seconds to 3 minutes before using it for drinking and cooking. This helps flush water that may have contained lead that may have leached from plumbing.
- Use cold water for cooking, drinking, and preparing baby formula. Boiling the water will not reduce lead.
- Clean your faucet aerator regularly.
For additional information about reducing exposure to lead in water, please visit the following web sites: drinktap.org, epa.gov/safewater or the Lead in Drinking Water area of the Columbus Department of Public Utilities’ website at columbus.gov/utilities.
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