The Flathead County Water District No. 1, also known as the Evergreen Water and Sewer District, has issued a precautionary boil advisory for drinking water before consumption following potential contamination due to a system failure.
On August 28, the district discovered a piping failure at the district’s two water tanks. The pipe leaks caused some flooding that resulted in electrical shorts to the control panels that monitor the water level in the tanks.
The emergency notification system was affected by the loss of control equipment and meant the leak was not discovered until customers alerted the district to water shortages and pressure-related issues. Upon investigating, it was found that the two water tanks, which hold 2.6 million gallons, had fully drained and failed to refill.
The district replaced the damaged controls and are actively working to fix the rest of the systems that failed. As of Monday afternoon, the tanks were close to 50% full, with normal operation expected by Tuesday afternoon.
Because the tanks were depleted, the district announced it is possible parts of the drinking water system may have become contaminated with bacteria from from backflow from appliances such as hot water tanks or water softeners.
The district will be temporarily chlorinating the water supply, so customers may notice a difference in the taste of water over the next two days, and may see fire hydrants opened in the service area as the district flushes the system. On Thursday, the district will test for any remaining bacteria in the water supply. Until test results are received on Friday, the district advises customers in the area to boil all water before consuming it to ensure any bacterial contamination is eliminated.
To learn more visit www.evergreenwaterdistrict.com/home.