Porterville boil water alert issued

By Staff
special to The Star
Sept. 18, 2004
PORTERVILLE At least four East Mississippi communities are under boil water alerts after the latest notice was issued Friday for 940 customers who get their drinking water from the Porterville Water Association in Kemper County.
The Mississippi State Department of Health, which issued the alert, said it had been notified that all four of the systems lost pressure due to a loss of power.
Boil water notices were issued Thursday for the following three systems:
2,000 customers who get their drinking water from Harmony Water Association #1, #2, #4, #5 and #7-N Enterprise in Clarke County;
34 customers of the East Quitman Water Association on County Road 420 in Clarke County; and,
520 customers in DeKalb of the Kipling Water Association #1.
When a distribution system loses pressure, contaminants can siphon back into the water supply. Public health officials consider any system that loses pressure contaminated until tests prove otherwise.
Health officials recommend that all water for consumption be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed; bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will destroy all major types of harmful bacteria.
Customers will be notified when tests show the water is safe to drink.