A boil water advisory issued Sunday afternoon was lifted just before noon Tuesday.

A series of unfortunate events led to advisory being issued. A water main break was reported at the intersection of N. Bernhardt Ave. and Flottmann Road. These breaks are routine and do not generally create long-term problems. However, the area was already experiencing low water pressure due to the town’s biggest water tower being out of commission for repairs. The tower under repair is the city’s largest holding 200,000 gallons of water. During the repairs, the city is utilizing the smaller tower which holds 50,000 gallons of water.

According to Public Works Director Nick Grube, he was concerned that the low pressure may have allowed contaminants to enter the water system.

Grube says he issued the boil advisory in case the water had been contaminated.
Water samples were taken from many locations around the city and sent to Franklin County lab for testing. These samples then needed to be incubated for 24 hours to determine bacteria growth in the water.

Just before noon on Tuesday, Grube received a phone call from the lab reporting the water samples were all clean. The official written report was being issued at that time.

The boil advisory instructed residents to boil water at a full, rolling boil for five minutes. This water could then be used for consumption as drinking water, ice cubes, washing foods, brushing teeth.

The advisory was a precautionary measure to protect city water users, Grube says.