Full Notification

UPDATE" Water boil advisory issued for most of Ephrata
 
CITY OF EPHRATA
PRESS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
Contact: Ray Towry, City Administrator
509-754-4601 x157
[email protected]
121 Alder St SW
Ephrata, WA 98823

 
WATER BOIL ADVISORY STILL IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF EPHRATA
Precautionary Boil Advisory Measure In Place After Experiencing A “Negative Pressure” Event
 
August 22, 2023 – 8:30 AM – Ephrata, WA – The precautionary boil advisory is still in effect for most of Ephrata. The Grandview Heights neighborhood is exempt from the boil advisory.
 
The City expects the preliminary results of a small sample of tests taken Monday morning to be available later this evening. Those results will advise crews on any additional action needed, or a path forward.
 
Crews began collecting 16 water samples at 3:30 AM today. Ten of the samples are from various points around the water delivery system and six samples are from each of the city wells.
 
The test requires 24 hours in the lab before results are available. The City anticipates receiving test results by Wednesday. We will continue to share information as it becomes available.
 
Initial calls received Sunday morning indicated community members experienced low water pressure. Upon receiving the call, city staff dispatched and found low, but not empty, reservoirs and a malfunctioning water monitoring system. The malfunction prevented the alarm system from issuing a warning that notifies staff of irregularities remotely during non-business hours. Staff manually turned on well pumps, overriding the automated system, and monitored the reservoirs as they refilled.
 
Monday morning new information became available that there may have been “negative pressure,” or backflow, into the water system. After confirming that some residents in various locations of town had gotten air in their pipes, a “negative pressure” indication, city staff contacted the state’s drinking water officials for guidance.  As a result of this collaboration, the City issued a boil advisory as a cautionary measure.
 
The state required the City of Ephrata to chlorinate the drinking water system for disinfection purposes several years ago. The disinfectant levels were tested and at state standards. The lines in the NE and SE sections were also flushed as the water came back online to expel any of air or potentially stagnant water.
 
The State Drinking Water Department advises the following for those in the boil advisory area. Again, Grandview Heights is the only neighborhood exempt from the boil advisory.
 
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.  Bring all water to a rolling boil for one minute, and let it cool before using.  Boiled tap water or purchased bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.  Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
 
Boil your tap water intended for human consumption (i.e. drinking, cooking, food preparation, ice making, oral hygiene) at a rolling boil for 1 minute.
 
We have consulted with the Washington State Department of Health about this incident.  We will notify you when you no longer need to boil the water.  For more information, please contact City Hall at 509-754-4601.
 
                                                                                                                                           
Please share this notice with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).  You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distribution copies by hand or mail.
 
For additional questions please contact City Hall at 509-754-4601.

 
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This mass notification message is sent by Grant County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management on behalf of the City of Ephrata. The GCSO operates the county’s emergency mass notification system which is available for all Grant County cities to utilize.

TARGET AUDIENCE: CITY OF EPHRATA RESIDENTS IN THE NORTHEAST AND SOUTHEAST SECTIONS
 

Instructions:

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