The City of Punta Gorda has issued a Precautionary Boil Water Notice effective immediately due to a low-pressure event in the distribution system.
Resident customers are advised to boil water for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth until further notice. Updates will be provided as the situation develops and once water quality tests confirm that the system is safe.
The alert was issued Thursday evening after the city's utilities staff observed an increased demand for water at the Bal Harbor booster station.
According to information issued by Punta Gorda, factors contributing to this event include:
- Higher than normal water demand: Thursday is historically a high-demand day due to irrigation usage.
- Increased system stress due to cold weather: The City has experienced a higher number of water main breaks and leaks throughout the distribution system.
- Impact on storage capacity: The combination of main breaks, leaks, and irrigation demand resulted in the depletion of the Bal Harbor booster station’s 2.0 million-gallon storage tank.
- 5:05 a.m.: Low-level cutoff triggered at the booster station.
- Pressure readings: Distribution system pressure was recorded at 18.7 psi for 12 minutes, prompting the citywide Precautionary Boil Water Notice.
Other recommendations made by the city include urging residents to conserve water as the region enters the dry season. This includes limiting irrigation to one day per week.
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