Boil Water Advisory (BWA)

What is a boil water advisory?
A Boil Water Advisory is a preventative measure issued to protect the health of the community from water borne infectious agents.  A Boil Water Advisory is issued only after careful consideration from public health, regulatory agencies and municipal departments.

What should I do under a BWA?
Create a supply of water for cooking, drinking and tooth brushing.

*Boil the water for 3 minutes.
*Cool the water then place in clean containers for use or refrigerate.

Hot soapy water can be used for dishwashing and kitchen/bathroom surface cleaning.  As a precaution, add one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water.

Laundry water does not need to be treated. 

Unless otherwise instructed, water for showering does not need to be treated.

If water is not safe for drinking because of bacteria, hand washing with soap and water followed by disinfection with an alcohol based disinfectant is recommended.

The safety and satisfaction of our customers shall always be Richmond Utilities top priorities. On occasion, our system will experience water line breaks which will result in temporary loss of pressure or complete loss of water for some time.

Once service has been restored, it is important that you follow these safety precautions.
1. You should run your water until it is clear of any sediment or air for any interruption in service.

2. If a boil water advisory is issued for your area of service the announcement will be released to the public by the following media outlets:
a. Richmond Utilities website: www.richmondutilities.com
b. Richmond Utilities Office – (859) 623-2323, during business hours After hours – (859) 369-5389
c. Radio – WCYO – 100.7 FM – “The Coyote”
d. Richmond City local information station – Channel Spectrum 378 – local cable system - City of Richmond Community Information Facebook Page
e. Richmond Register – www.richmondregister.com
f. Lexington Area TV stations

3. It is important that you boil your water at a rolling boil for 2-3 minutes before using the water for drinking. Other uses of the water can occur without boiling the water.

4. After service is restored, it could take an hour or two before the boil water advisory is issued.

Richmond Utilities will be collecting water samples in the area of the break to ensure no bacteria have entered our water system.

The results of this testing will be complete within 24 hours after the samples are collected. Once all samples are clear, the state will be notified, and they will lift the boil water advisory.

Please check back with one of the media sources, mentioned above, to see if the boil water advisory has been lifted.