A boil water alert remains under effect for parts of Stafford County, Virginia, but crews have finished flushing water lines and are awaiting the results of testing, a county spokesman said Thursday morning.
The boil water alert was issued late Tuesday night due to complications from a water main break. Affected areas are in the southern part of the county.
The water main break has been repaired, and Stafford Utilities flushed the lines to clear out the system and make sure any discoloration or sediment is removed, a county spokesman said.
The county is now awaiting results from tests mandated by the Virignia Department of Health, which requires two tests conducted 16 hours apart, he said.
Officials are hoping to receive the first test results in the next few hours, the spokesman said Thursday morning. The second test is expected early Friday, he said.
Now that the flushing is complete, residents should run their water for five minutes to remove any remaining discolored water, the spokesman said. Anyone still seeing discolored water after that should call Stafford Utilities at 540-658-4893. However, the boil water alert remains in effect until the county says otherwise.
Residents in the following areas are "strongly advised" to boil their water before consuming or to use bottled water:
- south of Eskimo Hill Road
- east of Interstate 95
- in the areas of Mountain View Road and Ramoth Church Road
Stafford County also has an interactive map that residents can use to see if their addresses are in areas under the alert.
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Residents can use water for washing clothes or non-consumption without boiling it first, officials said earlier.
"Stafford Utilities is following Virginia Department of Health protocols in testing the water in the affected area as well as the rest of the county," officials said in a release on the county's website, posted shortly after 11:30 p.m. Tuesday.
There was no issue with water in the rest of the county, they said as of late Tuesday.
The alert was expected to be in effect for two to three days. Officials are posting updates on the county's website.
Safety tips are available on the Virginia Department of Health's website.
