Boil Water Advisory Due to Overnight Water Main Break

All City of Staunton water customers are under a Boil Water Advisory as of Friday morning due to an overnight water main break. The boil water precautions are for water consumption and will be in place for approximately the next 48 hours. Once water is restored, even if the pressure and water look typical, you need to boil until told otherwise.

Residential and business customers should boil water before using it for drinking, cooking, or brushing teeth. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute and let it cool before use. Continue to follow these precautions until the city notifies residents that the boil water advisory has been lifted.

Customers do not need to boil water for taking a shower, washing clothes in a washing machine, or running the dishwasher on a sanitize setting.

Watermain Break Details

Last night, Staunton Public Works was notified of a watermain break behind Stocker Street.

Utility crews were immediately dispatched and found significant damage to a large, 16-inch water main. To complete the repair, water service had to be shut off.

Initial efforts to limit the outage to a small area were unsuccessful, making it necessary to expand the shut-off. This caused low water pressure throughout much of the city and required service interruptions in higher-elevation areas.

Crews have been working through the night to repair the break and restore water service as quickly as possible.

Once the break is repaired, the utility department will slowly restore water flow and replenish the system. After water is restored, water testing and sampling will begin.

Water Distribution Sites

The city is establishing three water distribution sites that will be open during the daytime throughout the boil water advisory. There will be a limit of one case per vehicle at the distribution sites. 

• Staunton High School – 1301 N. Coalter St.
• Bessie Weller Elementary School – 600 Greenville Ave. 
• Gypsy Hill Park Gymnasium – 116th Regimental Rd

Current planned hours for distribution sites:

• Friday: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sunday: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  

COMMON QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q: Why wasn’t the advisory issued immediately last night?
A: When the break first occurred, our water tanks maintained enough pressure to keep water safe. A boil water advisory is only needed when pressure drops low enough for bacteria to potentially enter pipes. The city was consulting with VDH through the night, and this morning as tanks emptied and pressure dropped, we consulted with the Virginia Department of Health and determined the advisory was necessary for safety.

Q: My water looks and tastes normal. Do I still need to boil?
A: Yes. Even when water pressure and appearance seem normal, you must continue boiling until we officially lift the advisory. We need time to test and confirm safety.

Q: How long will this last?
A:Crews are working around the clock to sample and test as quickly as requirements allow. We will update as results come in and the water is safe.

Q: What exactly happened?
A: A large 16-inch water main broke behind Stocker Street overnight. Crews tried to limit the outage but had to expand the shut-off, causing low pressure citywide and service interruptions in higher areas.

Q: When will my water be back on?
A: Crews worked through the night on repairs. The water leak has been repaired and we will slowly restore flow and replenish the system. Water restoration comes before the advisory is lifted – you may have water back but still need to boil.

Q: Is it safe to shower?
A: Yes, you can shower, do laundry, and run your dishwasher on sanitize setting without boiling water.

Q: Do ALL city customers need to follow this?
A: Yes, this is a citywide advisory for all Staunton water customers as a precaution.