Precautionary BOIL WATER Notice Lifted, All Customers May Resume Normal Usage!

This Notice Has Been Lifted Effective 7/29/22 at 3:50pm. 

Drinking Water PRECAUTIONARY COMMUNICATION

If you lost pressure 7/28/22, please boil water until further notice. 

Description of the issue and when it occurred

On 7/28/22 a high pressure water main line broke in town causing several areas on opposite ends of the City to lose pressure entirely. 

While there is no evidence that the water supply is unsafe to drink (the Treatment Plant was not affected and the Chlorine and Turbidity measures remained within limits), the danger of Coliform Bacteria and siphoning of unwanted chemicals is one the City takes very seriously.

Actions customers should take

If you lost pressure on 7/28/22, do not consume the water without boiling it first.  Out of an abundance of caution the City is issuing a boil water notice to any customer who lost full water pressure on 7/28/22.  If you are unsure whether you lost pressure, please follow this boil water notice as a precautionary measure. 

You do not need to use an alternative water supply, just follow these instructions:

Those customers who lost pressure should bring water to a rolling boil for 1 full minute, allow the water to cool before using, and store the cooled water in a clean container with a cover. Customers should use boiled water that has cooled or bottled water for:

• Drinking
• Brushing teeth
• Washing fruits and vegetables
• Preparing food and baby formula
• Making ice
• Cleaning food contact surfaces

What is being done to correct the situation

City staff has isolated the main break and is currently working to repair it.  This work will last well into the evening of 7/28/22 and may proceed into 7/29/22.  Once the main is repaired, city staff will be flushing water mains for the next several days.  This should not impact your water service. 

Additionally, city staff is in the process of performing precautionary testing on the water right now with results expected no later than 4pm on Friday 7/29/22. Once the results are verified safe, the boil notice will be lifted; this will be communicated through the Molalla Current SMS Push Notification System, City of Molalla Facebook Page, and posted on the City’s Website. 

What are the potential adverse affects

1.  This kind of sudden pressure loss can sometimes cause you to experience brown or smelly water at first.  If this happens, flush sinks/toilets/etc. until water is clear.

2. Coliform bacteria are generally not harmful themselves. Coliforms are bacteria which are naturally present in the environment and are used as health effects an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present.

3. To reiterate, there is no evidence that Coliforms or any other harmful substances are present in the water supply.  This notice is being issued out of an abundance of caution while the city performs precautionary testing.