GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The boil water advisory for thousands of Grand Rapids residents has been lifted, according to the city.
The advisory was put into place on Sunday, March 17, following a major water main break that affected water pressure for a large part of the city.
The city says that the water system has been completely flushed and all water testing has been completed per state and federal rules and regulations.
Residents inside of the affected area will no longer need to boil their water before they consume or use it.
The city is recommending some steps to take now that the boil water advisory is lifted:
Flush Plumbing, Pipes, and Faucets (interior and exterior)
- Unscrew and remove faucet screens/aerators and clean out any particles.
- Run cold water through your faucets and appliances with direct water connections for at least 5 minutes.
- To clear hot water pipes and the water heater of untreated water, run hot water only at all faucets and flush until the water runs cool.
- Put the screens/aerators back on the faucets.
Check Appliances/Devices
- Remove and replace all water filters, including water coolers, inline filters, and other appliances with direct water connections. The filter could be contaminated if you ran water through any filter during the boil water advisory.
- Always read and follow the owner’s manual for directions to flush and replace filters for all appliances that use water.
- Water dispensers from refrigerators should be flushed by at least one gallon of water, refer to the owner’s manual.
- Dump existing ice and flush the water feed lines, making and discarding three batches of ice cubes.
- After flushing hot water pipes and water heater, run an empty dishwasher one time on the hottest or sanitize cycle.
- Run water softener through a full regeneration cycle.
- Remove and replace filters in portable and furnace humidifiers.
If you are a restaurant or food service facility, you should refer to guidance from the Kent County Health Department for water use.
City Manager Mark Washington is grateful for the quick response from crews.
“While this has certainly been a disruption for our community, our Water Department employees were able to quickly identify and correct the issue while staff from departments across the organization pulled together to support our residents compassionately and professionally. This is exactly what our community expects in challenging times and our employees never fail to deliver," said Washington.
Washington added that the city is learning from the incident and hopes to improve their response in the future.
If you have further questions, or need to report a water/sewer emergency, please contact customer service by dialing 616-456-3000, or dial 3-1-1 if you are within the city limits.
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