FORT MILL, S.C. (WBTV) - A boil water advisory remains in effect Wednesday morning for some York County customers who lost water service over the weekend.
The advisory was announced on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 31, for some parts of Fort Mill and Tega Cay. It was issued after a 24-inch water main break was reported in the area of Coltharp Road and U.S. Highway 21 on Saturday, Aug. 30.
If you live in the area that lost water service or had low water pressure this weekend, you are under a boil water advisory.
On Tuesday, Sept. 2, officials advised they had sent water samples for testing. Results were expected as early as midday on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The county said when those results are available, another update will be posted here.
“Until then, please continue to boil any water used for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth, or use bottled water for these purposes,” a spokesperson wrote.
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Officials initially reported that repairs would be completed by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1; however, in an update, they advised that repairs were taking longer than planned.
Water customers affected by the outage should have received a text message or email about the planned water outage, according to the county.
A boil water advisory is often issued after a water main break happens, because the break can cause a loss in water pressure. A loss in pressure means the water could potentially become contaminated with harmful bacteria.
In response, boiling water can kill off any harmful substances or bacteria. That’s why boil water advisories are issued.
When a boil water advisory is active, water should not be consumed or used for cleaning or bathing without first being boiled.
Once a boil water advisory is lifted, affected customers are encouraged to flush their pipes to get rid of the potentially contaminated water.
To do this, run your cold tap water for a minute or so before using the water. Hot water pipes and water heaters should be flushed for several minutes, usually at least 15 minutes for a 40-gallon water tank, to eliminate any potentially contaminated water.
If you have automatic ice dispensers, consider tossing any existing ice and replacing it with new ice once your pipes are flushed.