A boil order has been issued for areas south of Fairview Road in Camden, according to Camden Water Utilities General Manager David Richardson
"This morning, early, we had main break, a 10-inch main break, over on Fairview Road at the intersection of Old Wire Road and Fairview Road, which drained our water tank there on Old Wire Road pretty rapidly," Richardson stated. "That resulted in some people losing some water pressure for more than a couple of hours, so as a result of that, that did trigger a boil order for areas south of Fairview Road, which includes areas from Mt. Holly to Hwy 79 at Jays County Store."
Richardson also said the Old Wire Road Water Association and Hwy 424 Water Association were affected.
He noted that while repairs are ongoing, the boil order will be in place at least a couple of days until the Arkansas Department of Health lifts it.
"We are in the process of making repairs right now to the main, so we should have that system back up and running in a couple of hours, I hope. We'll have a little bit of dirty water until we can get the whole system flushed out," Richardson said. "We want to pull our first samples Sunday and post them Monday morning and get them to laboratory, so we can make sure they're safe and get them to the Health Department to get the green light."
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control recommends using the following precautions when under a boil order:
- Use bottled or boiled water for drinking and to prepare and cook food.
- If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes). After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.
- Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
- Do not use water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.
- Breastfeeding is the best infant feeding option. If you formula feed your child, provide ready-to-use formula, if possible.
Handwashing
- In many cases, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands during a boil water advisory. Follow the guidance from your local public health officials.
- Be sure to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Then, rinse them well under running water.
- If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
Bathing and showering
- Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
- Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
Brushing teeth
- Brush teeth with boiled or bottled water. Do not use tap water that you have not boiled first.
Washing dishes
- If possible, use disposable plates, cups and utensils during a boil water advisory.
- Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if: the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit; or the dishwater has a sanitizing cycle.
- Sanitize all baby bottles.
- To wash dishes by hand: wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water, then in a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water. Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute. Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.
Laundry
- It is safe to wash clothes as usual.
Cleaning
- Clean washable toys and surfaces with bottled water, boiled water or water that has been disinfected with bleach.
Caring for pets
- Pets can get sick from some of the same germs as people or spread germs to people. Give pets bottled water or boiled water that has cooled.
- If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.
- Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
Caring for garden and houseplants
- Use tap water for household plants and gardens.