MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Va. (WDBJ) – The New River Valley Water Authority has issued a boil water notice for all customers throughout Montgomery County, effective immediately.

The notice was sent to Blacksburg, Christiansburg, Virginia Tech and Montgomery County Public Service Authority Waterworks customers. The water agency says the boil water notice will remain in effect pending test results for safe drinking water from water sampling tests conducted by the Virginia Department of Health. All water samples collected will meet state and federal drinking water standards before the “boil water” advisory is lifted. It is unknown when the boil water advisory will be lifted, but consumers are asked to plan for at least 48 hours of boil water.

Instructions for boiling water:

• Before drinking water from the PSA water system, bring the water to a boil for about a minute. This kills bacteria that may have contaminated the drinking water.
• Caution: Extreme caution should be exercised when boiling water to avoid burns. Allow the water to cool before using it.
• Hot tap water is not a substitute for boiling water. Water from a water heater is not intended for drinking.
• Additionally, if your freezer has an automatic ice maker, throw away all ice cubes and turn off the ice maker until the “Boil Water” message goes off.

If you can’t boil your water: If you do not have access to gas or electricity to boil water, the NRV Regional Water Authority has provided the following water purification instructions:

• An alternative cleaning method for residents who do not have gas or electricity is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect the water. The bleaching product should be freshly purchased, free of additives and fragrances, and contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼ teaspoon) to every gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.
• You can also use water purification tablets by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Drinking water is available at the following locations: local grocery stores and convenience stores.

Learn more at the Virginia Department of Health. View the New River Valley Regional Water Authority notification.

Copyright 2024 WDBJ. All rights reserved.