The City of Richmond Hill has recently issued an advisory due to the loss of pressure caused by a water main repair in the Blueberry subdivision, which may have disrupted the water supply or caused water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to very low levels.

The areas affected are:

• Oleander Street
• Spruce Street
• Laurel Street
• Taco Bell on Ford Avenue

The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution – there is the potential a health hazard may exist due to microbial contamination in these areas without positive pressure.

In order to protect the public from a potential health hazard, customers that have experienced water outages and/or low water pressures are advised to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, cooking, or preparing food.

𝗧𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗯𝗼𝗶𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗽 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀𝗲, 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱:
• Heat water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the container;
• Continue heating the water for one minute once it begins to boil;
• Remove the water from the heat source and allow to cool before use.

During a Boil Water Advisory, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that boiled tap water or bottled water be used for the following:
• Drinking
• Brushing teeth
• Washing food and preparing food and baby formula
• Making ice
• Drinking water for pets

Other activities such as cloth washing, dish washing, and other uses can be done without boiling tap water, if done properly. The complete CDC guidance can be found at: https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/drinking-water-advisories-an-overview.html

The advisory is in effect until the City of Richmond Hill has done the appropriate testing to be confident that there is no longer a public health concern. Customers will be notified immediately when the Advisory is lifted. Once the Advisory is lifted, residents should flush all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using them for drinking or food preparation.