WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — West Palm Beach city leaders say now that a ruptured water main that caused a precautionary boil water order has been repaired the city says the advisory has now been lifted as of Sunday afternoon.
A large pipe near Tamarind Avenue and 5th Street broke on Thursday night, causing flooding in the immediate area. The break also caused many homes to have little to no water pressure.
City leaders say they expect most of the system to be restored on Sunday.
Precautionary Boil Water Advisory Remains in Effect for City of West Palm Beach Water Customers
City Anticipates Being Able to Rescind the Advisory on Sunday Morning for Most Water Customers.
Post Date: 02/06/2021 11:23 AM
WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (February 6, 2021) – A precautionary boil water advisory remains in effect for water customers in the City of West Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach and the Town of South Palm Beach. The city anticipates being able to lift the advisory on Sunday for most water customers. The advisory went into effect due to a water main break in the area of Tamarind Ave. and 2nd St. Last night, the city completed repairs to the broken main. Please use caution if you are driving in the vicinity of Tamarind Ave., between Banyan Blvd. and Division Ave., as there may be road closures due to the break.
Until the city rescinds the precautionary boil water notice, customers are asked to use bottled water, or customers can boil their water–using a rolling boil– for one minute. Alternately, customers can add eight drops of unscented household bleach per one gallon of water and allow the water to stand for one hour before drinking.
The city is temporarily using free chlorine for disinfection and will be flushing out the system to make sure the system is restored. If you are sensitive to the taste or odor of chlorine, keep an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator for a few hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Users of home dialysis machines, owners of tropical fish, and managers of stores and restaurants with fish and shellfish holding tanks are advised to seek professional advice, as the method for removing chlorine residuals differs from removing chloramine residuals from tap water.
The water is safe to use for bathing, showering and washing clothes.
The city will inform customers when the precautionary boil water advisory is rescinded. Updates will be posted to the city’s website and on social media; updates will also be shared with the local news media.
Should you need more information on this incident, please call the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department at (561) 822-2210 (TTY: 800-955-8771).