Dillingham residents are being advised to boil their water before drinking or cooking with it, after part of the city’s water system was shut down to repair a failed valve. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued a boil water notice yesterday, Mar. 5.
The Dillingham Water System includes Tower Rd. and downtown Dillingham, extending to the boat harbor. Public Works Director Phil Baumgartner said the valve failure was discovered Tuesday.
“And we had to shut off some sections of the water system to relieve pressure in order to repair, replace and repair the valve,” said Baumgartner.
Repairs to the valve were completed last night, but Baumgartner explained that the drop in water pressure in the closed section made the system susceptible to contamination, which could spread when water flow resumes.
Baumgartner says the whole system must now be repressurized to ensure no contamination in the system.
“So the whole system needs to run for 24 hours, pressurized, and then it needs to be safe for folks to get back after normal life,” said Baumgartner.
The city must submit three satisfactory water samples to the DEC before the boil water notice can be rescinded. Once the notice is rescinded, the DEC recommends that residents continue boiling their water for an additional 24 hours as a precaution.
Baumgartner says residents should follow DEC guidelines on handling their water under the boil water notice.
