Boil-Water Advisory Lifted in the Progress Road Area After Weekend Main Break

The boil-water advisory covering the Progress Road area of Ellijay was lifted as of 5 p.m. Monday, July 27, according to a notice posted at the top of the Ellijay-Gilmer County Water & Sewerage Authority's website. Households on Progress Road, Dogwood Drive, Poplar, Pine and Maple streets, Merk Davis Road, Soccer Field Road and Casey Drive can go back to using tap water normally, after roughly 29 hours of boiling water for drinking, ice, baby formula and brushing teeth.

The advisory went into effect at noon Sunday. The authority issued it as a precaution after a ruptured water main in the Yukon service area knocked out service and dropped pressure across those streets. When pressure falls that low, bacteria can work their way into the lines, which is why the boil order is standard practice rather than proof anything was actually in the water.

The break made itself obvious well before the notice went out. The Gilmer County Sheriff's Office posted a traffic alert at 10:16 a.m. Sunday warning drivers about flooding on Progress Road near Soccer Field Road, with water authority crews already on scene making repairs. The advisory area ran along Progress Road south of the four-way stop at Maddox Drive down to Highway 5 South.

What to do with your water now

Lifting the advisory does not mean everything in your kitchen is automatically fine. Water that sat in your pipes, your ice bin and your filter cartridge during the outage is still water from the advisory period. Federal health guidance for the end of a boil order is straightforward.

• Run every cold tap in the house for several minutes to clear the lines. Start with an outside spigot or a bathtub if you have one.
• Dump the ice made since Sunday, then run and discard the next batch or two from an automatic ice maker.
• Change the filter in your refrigerator, pitcher or under-sink unit.
• Run the dishwasher empty once on a hot cycle before the next load of dishes.
• Refill pet bowls and water coolers with fresh water.

Water heaters do not need to be drained. If your water comes out cloudy or with air spitting out of the faucet, that is usually trapped air from the refill and it clears on its own after a few minutes of running.

What the authority has not said

There has been no public explanation of what caused the main to fail, how much water was lost, or what the repair cost. The authority has also not said whether the line is patched or fully replaced. Its own office sits at 1023 Progress Road, in the middle of the affected stretch.

Customers who still have discolored water, low pressure or no service can reach the authority at 706-276-2202 during business hours, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the office closed for lunch from noon to 1. After hours, calls go to the water treatment plant at 706-635-7929.

The authority's board meets on the last Monday of each month, which puts the next regular meeting after this break on the calendar for late August. Anyone wanting the repair explained on the record, or wanting to ask what the rest of the Yukon-area lines look like, will get their first chance there. Notices and contact information stay posted at egcwsa.com.

For more coverage like this, visit the Ellijay Georgia Community Website, and tell your neighbors what your water looked like Monday night by joining the conversation in our Community Forum. You can read more alerts and public safety stories any time.