The Chautauqua County Health Department has issued a boil water order and mandatory water conservation order for all Village of Fredonia water customers.
The orders were issued Friday, January 30 due to a water main break that has caused substantial water loss in the system. Customers are asked to conserve water to ensure that the water treatment plant can produce enough water to meet customer demand while Village staff work to locate and fix the leak.
The New York State Department of Health requires that anytime water is not adequately treated a boil water order must be issued to notify customers. A disruption in treatment at the water treatment plant led to water that was not adequately treated entering the distribution system. This water could contain harmful microbes. Boiling the water kills bacteria and other microbes that may be present.
All Fredonia water customers must boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth and making coffee until further notice. Water must be brought to a rolling boil for one minute then cooled prior to use.
Boiled or bottled water must be used to wash dishes by hand; dishes should be allowed to completely air dry after washing. Home dishwashers that reach a temperature of 170⁰F and have a full dry cycle can be used in place of boiled water. The water may be used for bathing as long as it is not consumed. The water is safe for laundry.
Once the treatment process has been fully restored to normal operations, the Village will collect water samples on consecutive days to make sure the water is safe. Village officials will provide updates on the conserve water order and the efforts to repair the water main leak as they are available.
For more information on boiling water and emergency disinfection visit the New York State Department of Health website at https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/boilwater/.
For more information, residents should call the Village of Fredonia at (716) 679-2307 and Chautauqua County Health Department permitted facilities can call the Health Department directly at (716) 753-4481.
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