System pressure advisories are also called boil water advisories. They are issued as a precaution before testing confirms any presence of contaminants in water.

The advisories are issued when an event occurs that potentially allows contaminants to enter the water distribution system. Such events include:

• Natural disasters.
• Water main breaks.
• Small or widespread loss of system pressure. 

The state minimum for water pressure is 20 pounds per square inch.

The town:

• Does not issue an advisory for planned outages or when a water main can remain under pressure during repairs.
• May not issue an advisory if initial water sampling finds a contamination with a known cause that is being addressed promptly.

As a precaution, consumers are advised to vigorously boil all town water for one minute or use bottled water for any human or pet consumption.

This precaution should kill any disease-causing organisms that may be present in the water. The advisory includes these uses:

• Drinking, including for pets.
• Ice making.
• Teeth brushing.
• Food preparation.

Infants and Pregnant Women

When possible, pregnant women and infants under 6 months should use an alternate water supply, such as bottled water. Boiling water concentrates any levels of nitrates that may be present in the water.

Filter Systems

If you have a filter system on your faucet or refrigerator, you should boil your water. Most point-of-use filters do not remove harmful bacteria. They are designed to improve the aesthetics of water ― taste and odor.

Water is safe for bathing and washing clothes. 

Handwashing

For basic personal hygiene, vigorous handwashing with soap and tap water is safe.

For food preparation, community members are advised to wash hands with soap one of two ways:

• With boiled (then cooled) water or bottled water.
• With tap water followed by hand sanitizer. 

Dishwashing

If possible, use disposable plates, cups and utensils.

Sanitize all baby bottles. See the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's page on infant feeding items.

Dishwashers generally are safe to use if they have a sanitizing cycle or reach a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F. Check the dishwasher manual or contact the manufacturer to find out the temperature reached.

To wash dishes by hand:

1. Wash and rinse dishes as you normally would using hot water.
2. In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
3. Then soak the dishes in the water for at least one minute.
4. Let the dishes air dry completely before using.

If contamination of the water system did occur, you should flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains and the like before resuming use of water for drinking or cooking. Flushing is letting water run to ensure no contaminated water remains in your pipes. Follow these guidelines:

• Run all cold-water faucets in your home for one minute.
• For automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard.
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
• Run drinking water fountains for one minute.
• Run water coolers with direct water connections for five minutes.

Discolored Water

Following an advisory, you may experience discolored water from air bubbles or harmless sediment. The water can appear to be red, brown or milky.

• To clear discoloration, run cold water through your bathtub or other faucet for 5 to 10 minutes.
• If discoloration continues, immediately contact the Hillsborough Water Treatment Plant at 919-732-3621.