Baltimore Area Under Boil Water Advisory, County Working To Buy Bottled Water
Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski Jr. says he’s working to purchase more bottled water for residents impacted by a precautionary Boil Water Advisory issued by the city.
According to CBS News, on Tuesday afternoon (September 6) the county distributed bottled water at a fire station in Halethorpe, Md., but ran out just before 6 p.m. They were subsequently directed to a nearby library.
The city’s Department of Public Works issued a required Boil Water Advisory for about 1,500 residences and businesses in the ninth councilmanic district after E. coli was detected in samples taken in West Baltimore. The agency then reportedly extended the boundary to include a larger swath of West and Southwest Baltimore as a precaution.
County officials are recommending impacted residents bring tap water to a “full, rolling boil” before letting it cool down for use.
"The health of Baltimore County residents is a top priority, and we want to be sure that everyone in the advisory area is taking all of the necessary precautions," said Olszewski, according to CBS. "While Baltimore County does not have operational control of the water system, we are making some of the County's certified water testers available to assist the city's efforts in quickly resolving this issue."
According to a 2021 report, Baltimore’s water system serves 1.8 million customers, including 600,000 residents in Baltimore County. A significant portion of the water supply is sourced from rivers that run through the surrounding counties and stored in reservoirs that are run by the city but located outside it.
The development comes as the 150,000 residents of Jackson, Miss., try to emerge from a crisis that was spurred by the flooding of the Pearl River, affecting the city’s water treatment plant and placing it under a state of emergency. City leaders say water pressure has been restored, but residents are still warned to avoid drinking from taps.
National guard troops were dispatched last week by Gov. Tate Reeves to bring bottled water to people. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan was scheduled to travel to Jackson to meet with the governor and Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba to coordinate the Biden Administration’s response, according to local station WJTV.
