gaithersblog.net

From the County’s website. See also the full health order.

For Immediate Release: 6/18/2008

WSSC Water in Areas Affected by Main Break Safe to Drink According to Latest WSSC Tests
“Boil Water” Advisory Cancelled for Residents and Restaurants

A second negative Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) test has concluded for water samples taken throughout areas of Montgomery County affected by the water main break earlier this week. According to the WSSC, the test results confirm that the water is safe to drink, and the “boil water” advisory for restaurants and homeowners is now cancelled.

“This has been a very difficult week for those residents and businesses affected by the water main break, as well as for the WSSC and County employees who have worked around the clock to make sure that our residents remained safe throughout this ordeal,” said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “This incident has reinforced the County’s strong position for added resources and more focus on addressing the backlog of WSSC maintenance.”

The area affected by the water main break included communities north of the Beltway, with the exception of Rockville City and the Town of Poolesville, which maintain their own water supply systems. County health officials estimated that approximately 1,200 food service facilities were closed initially due the lack of a safe water supply, and then allowed to reopen if they complied with strict public health precautions.

Now that the WSSC has lifted its “boil water” advisory to residents and food service facilities, the following steps are advised to ensure that no health threats remain. Residential water customers should:

• Flush household pipes/faucets– run all cold water faucets for 5 minutes each.

Boil Water Over

• Flush home automatic icemakers and make three batches of ice cubes, discarding all three batches before using. Before using, wipe out icemakers with a solution of two tablespoons of household bleach to one gallon of water.
• Food service facilities should allow water to run for five minutes at each tap to flush the lines with safe water. Misters and drinking fountains should also be flushed, as well as soda machines. Icemakers should also be flushed and cleaned and the first three batches of ice should be discarded.

Questions should go to the County’s Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services at 240-777-3986.

From the County’s website:

County Announces Plan to Reopen Restaurants Under Strict Public Health Precautions While “Boiled Water” Advisory Remains in Effect

Following an initial favorable water sample test result from the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) released after midnight, County Executive Isiah Leggett early this morning announced a plan to allow County food service establishments to reopen if they comply with strict public health precautions.

“In announcing the need for food service facilities to close Monday night in order to protect the public health, I pledged that we would work tirelessly to exhaust all remedies to find an acceptable way to reopen these businesses as soon as possible, said County Executive Isiah Leggett. “We have done just that.”

Dr. Ulder J. Tillman, County Health Officer, with the concurrence of the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene late Tuesday, approved a plan that will allow food service establishments to reopen if they comply with a set of strict public health precautions applicable during this water crisis. The requirements will apply to food service facilities in areas affected by Sunday night’s massive WSSC water main break. It is imperative that licensed food service facilities comply with the requirements or remain closed. The County will be conducting random spot checks.

Restaurant Safety Requirements   

“Consistent with the requirements, impacted County restaurants and other facilities may resume food operations while we await the final word on the remainder of WSSC’s water tests and the lifting of the ‘boiled water’ advisory,” Leggett said.

The directive, issued by County Health Officer Dr. Ulder J. Tillman, is posted on the County website at www.montgomerycountymd.gov. The County’s Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services will be following up with affected businesses today phone and/or in person.

Questions about the requirements should go to the County’s Public Health Hotline at 240-777-4200 or the Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services at 240-777-3986.

Staff will be available at the Public Health Hotline after 5 a.m. The Division of Licensure and Regulatory Services is open for business at 8 a.m.

 

REQUIREMENTS FOR OPERATING A FOOD SERVICE FACILITY WHILE UNDER A BOIL WATER NOTICE

Pursuant to the Annotated Code of Maryland, Health, General 3-306

 

Wonder why you never got an alert message about the water problems? Katherine Shaver and Dan Morse explain in the Washington Post:

Montgomery County’s emergency e-mail notification system failed to send alerts about Sunday night’s major water main break and the risk for unhealthy drinking water to tens of thousands of residents because the two employees who know how to operate the system were out of town, the county’s top homeland security official said yesterday.

When those two employees couldn’t be reached, a third employee who was supposed to know how to run it said that he had never been trained, said Gordon Aoyagi, the homeland security director. A fourth employee who was found eight hours later knew how to operate it but failed to send out any alerts. Residents and businesses learned of the water problem primarily through the media.

“The system worked,” Aoyagi said. “We failed.”

From WSSC’s website:

***update 1:30 A.M.***
RESULTS FOR FIRST ROUND OF WATER TESTING IN AREA AFFECTED BY BOIL WATER ADVISORY IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY
BOIL WATER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT

Contact: WSSC Communications 301.206.8100

(Laurel, MD June 18, 2008): The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) has completed the first tests of water samples taken following the Boil Water Advisory that was issued Monday morning.

The results show that all 18 samples taken were negative, meaning they showed no signs of harmful bacteria.

The Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) requires WSSC to conduct the tests before they will recommend lifting the Boiled Water Advisory. MDE requires two consecutive sets of all-negative results. The test results of the second set of samples will be available this evening . It takes 24 hours to determine the results of the water sample tests. The water samples are collected from a variety of locations within the area affected by the Boil Water Advisory.

The boil water advisory was issued as a precaution following last Sunday’s break of a 48-inch water main near Muncaster Mill Road and Meadowside Lane.

The boil water advisory affects WSSC customers who live outside the beltway in Montgomery County. Under the advisory, customers are urged to use bottled water or to bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and cool before drinking, making ice, brushing teeth and preparing food. Customers who are unsure if they reside in the boil water area, should go to the WSSC website, www.wsscwater.com to view the new interactive Google Map and to get more information see “Boil Water Advisory Information.”

WSSC urges the public to share this information 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 distributing copies by hand or mail.