HARRODSBURG — A boil water advisory to all City of Harrodsburg water customers and North Mercer Water District will be in effect from 9 a.m. Friday until further notice.
Water customers are advised by the water department to boil all water to be used for human consumption.
On Friday, the transmission main at the water plant will be modified to install a bypass for expansion currently underway. The situation poses a health concern for water users due to possibility of contamination of the drinking water in the area. The repair is expected to be completed by Friday afternoon.
Bacteriological analysis results will be available approximately 24 hours from the time it is submitted to the laboratory. The advisory, therefore, is expected to last until approximately mid-evening Saturday, but there is no guarantee. Water customers are asked to remember this is a projected time and, depending on laboratory results, could change.
A boil water advisory is issued when conditions exist or have occurred which may cause adverse health effects from microbiological contamination from consumption of the water. Safety measures for this situation include boiling all water used for human consumption until the advisory has been lifted.
Water should boiled for at least three minutes at a rolling boil.
The advisory will remain in effect until the repair to the water main has been completed and the absence of contamination, after the repair is complete, has been confirmed by laboratory analysis.
At that time, the water department will make every effort to inform customers of the lifting of the advisory. Notification of the lifting of the Boil Water Advisory will also be made via The Advocate-Messenger and the Harrodsburg radio station (WHBN 1420 AM).
Procedures for retail food establishments
According to the Mercer County Health Department, during a water supply emergency (W.S.E.), including boil water advisories, chemical contamination or pressure reduction, water may serve as a source of contamination for food, equipment, utensils and hands. Unsafe water also is a vector in the transmission of disease. Therefore, in order to provide protection to consumers and employees, water must be obtained from sources regulated by law and must be handled, transported and dispensed in a sanitary manner.
In case of chemical contamination or total loss of pressure, the establishment must close immediately. When chemical contamination occurs, the establishment must not reopen until samples, jointly approved by the local health department and the Division of Water, Environmental and Public Protection Cabinet justify reopening.
When a non-chemical W.S.E. occurs, the establishment must cease operating and not resume until the cabinet or local health department inspector assures safe operational procedures including the following are in place:
Other instructions for retail food establishments include:
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Boil water advisory to be in effect for Mercer Friday
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- Use bottled water only for drinking water; post “DO NOT DRINK” signs or disconnect fountains.
- Ice must come from commercially approved facilities outside the affected area. Ice machines directly connected to the water systems must not be used. Shut machine down and leave the unit off until the water is safe again, then clean and sanitize the unit following manufacturer’s suggested guidelines. Make ice for one hour and dispose of the ice.
- No fountain dispensed drinks — canned or bottled drinks only.
- Coffee and tea must be made from bottled water, or water boiled for three minutes before brewing or steeping.
- Tap water must not be used as an ingredient in food during a non-chemical W.S.E. unless boiled for three minutes or heated during the cooking process to no less than 160°F for 20 minutes.
- Fresh fruits and vegetables may be used if processed outside the W.S.E. affected area and are washed in an approved manner. Pre-packaged, ready-to-eat salad foods also may be used. In-place spray units and units which periodically spray water on products to maintain freshness must be shut down, and these units may not be used until the emergency has been resolved. Remember to clean and sanitize before use.
- Single service eating and drinking utensils may be substituted for reusable dishes and utensils.
- For handwashing, use heated bottled water or safe water hauled from an approved supply or, use tap water followed by a hand sanitizer. The handwash water shall be dispensed from a container with a spigot.
- Cooking utensil and equipment washing — In three-compartment sinks, washing, rinsing and sanitizing procedures must be followed with a chlorine sanitizing solution of 50 to 100 ppm (not to exceed 200 ppm) or other approved chemical sanitizer to be used and mixed in accordance with manufacturer’s guidelines. Sanitizing solution must be used in the third compartment of the three compartment sink. Automatic dishwashers, sanitizing with chemicals or hot water, can continue to be used provided the machine is operated in accordance with manufacture’s instructions.
- Food contact surfaces required to be cleaned in place shall, after cleaning, be sanitized with a solution of chemical sanitizer as described above.
After the W.S.E. is officially lifted, any equipment (ice machines, beverage dispensers, etc.) connected to the establishment’s municipal supply must be flushed, cleaned and sanitized and the municipal water supply allowed to run until clear with a chlorine residual. Any in-line filters must be replaced and the first batch of ice or other product containing water from the affected supply shall be discarded. Follow manufacturer’s suggested sanitizing procedures in operator’s manual.
The health department, in consultation with the Food Safety Branch, may modify or alter the W.S.E. guidelines as deemed necessary to protect consumers’ health.
SO¿YOU¿KNOW
For more information, call:¿Harrodsburg Water Department (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.) at (859) 734-4971; Harrodsburg Water Treatment Plant (6:30 a.m.-2 a.m.) at (859) 748-5198; or Harrodsburg Police Department at (859) 734-3311.
