GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Thousands of Grand Rapids residents have water that's not safe to consume before boiling it first. The city says the days it will take to fix the problem will still appear on your bill.
Water issues were first reported around 2 p.m. Sunday. Some people noticed their water pressure wasn't normal, while others had no water at all. The city says a water main break caused the problem and issued a boil water advisory.
The advisory covers homes and businesses east of US-131 and north of Hall Street, both in the City of Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids Township. There are 20,000 residents in this area.
Crews have since been working to correct the issue. You may see fire hydrants throughout the northeast side of the city pumping water as they work to flush the system.
The issues caused some businesses to close abruptly on Sunday, like Celebration Cinema North and Frederik Meijer Gardens. Grand Rapids Public Schools closed all 22 schools in the area on Monday and Tuesday.
The city announced the problem will likely take days to resolve. They hope to end the boil water notice on Wednesday at the earliest.
The question remains: Are you going to be charged for the multiple days your water was not usable? The answer is yes, a city official confirmed.
"While we understand the inconvenience the boil notice has caused, at this time customers are receiving water service," said David Green, a spokesperson for the City of Grand Rapids said.
Below are the affected areas.
Until the boil water advisory is lifted, you should boil any water you plan to use for drinking, brushing your teeth, cooking and washing your dishes.
Let the water hit a rolling boil for at least one minute and let it cool before using. Boiling the water kills bacteria and other organisms in the water that could be harmful.
You can use tap water for washing your hands, doing laundry and bathing, although you should be careful not to swallow any of the water.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation. It should also be given to pets instead of tap water.
You can run the dishwasher under a boil water advisory if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit or it has a sanitizing cycle.
Even if your fridge has a water filter, you should still boil the water and cool it before consuming it.
This advisory only applies to those with city water within the impacted areas. If you use well water, you don't have to boil your water.
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