Precautionary Boil Water Notice

PRECAUTIONARY BOIL WATER NOTICE

What does a precautionary boil water notice mean?  

It means that there has been an incident that has caused the water system to become susceptible to outside contaminates. As a precaution, the County is notifying the affected area to take precautions and if possible, not use the water that comes out of the tap for drinking, brushing your teeth, cooking, preparing infant formula, giving water to pets or washing fruits and vegetables. As an alternative bottled water should be used for these activities.

Precautionary boil orders do NOT mean water has tested positive for contamination. It is NOT the same thing as a mandatory boil order. Instead, it is a precautionary measure meant to empower customers to make the best choices for themselves, their families or their business customers until proper testing can be completed.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why would a precautionary boil notice be issued? 

A precautionary boil notice has been issued by your water system due to water maintenance needing to be completed. When the water system pressure drops there is a possibility that bacterial contamination may have significantly increased.

How long will the precautionary boil notice remain in effect?

Each Precautionary boil notice situation is different, making it impossible to predict how long the boil notice will remain in effect (generally speaking, testing results can take 24 to 48 hours). It will not be lifted until testing shows that the water meets public health standards and water samples test clear of coliforms. 

 
How long should I boil my water?

The affected tap water should be brought to a rolling boil for 1 minute before being used.

What should I do after a precautionary boil water notice is lifted?

Customers should flush their home's piping by letting a faucet flow for a few minutes (especially if there is any concern about lead). However, in most cases, as the order was precautionary, no special actions need to be taken.  If additional steps are necessary, instructions will be issued with the notice to lift the order.

Wakulla County is committed to providing its customers with safe drinking water. 

For any questions or concerns about a precautionary boil water notice, please contact ESG Operations, Water/Wastewater Division at (850) 962-3026.  Office hours are 7:30 AM – 4:00 PM Monday - Friday.