A boil advisory or boil order is a public health advisory asking customers to boil water before consuming it. Advisories may include information about preparing food, drinks, or ice; dishwashing; and hygiene, such as brushing teeth and bathing.
The Evansville Water and Sewer Utility issues a boil advisory when the community’s drinking water is or could be contaminated by pathogens as a result of a water line break or a loss in pressure. A boil advisory is issued for a specified amount of time and continues until the Utility completes thorough water quality tests and communicates the boil advisory is lifted.
During a boil advisory, boil tap water or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing your teeth or washing dishes. To boil your water, run your faucets on cold for at least three minutes. Then fill a pot, boil the water for five minutes and cool before using.
Continue boiling your water or using bottled water until the boil advisory is lifted. If your water appears discolored, run your faucets until the water clears.
When a boil advisory is issued for a small affected area, Utility employees place hanging notices on customers’ front doors. When larger areas of the community are impacted, the Utility communicates via news media outlets, such as TV, radio and newspaper, as well as:
To see if there is boil advisory in your area, check the Utility’s Project & Advisory Map.
Boil advisories are lifted after water line repairs are complete and the water passes a quality test. The Utility will communicate the end of a boil advisory using hanging notices on doors for small impacted areas and via news media and social media when broader areas of the community are affected.
