Fredonia residents, businesses, and institutions can help this situation by conserving water.  Conserving water will reduce the demand for water and will thereby reduce the strain on the water treatment plant equipment.

The water entering the water treatment plant from the Fredonia Reservoir has high levels of organic material that is causing problems with the filtration system at the water treatment plant.  Due to multiple days of increased wear on the filtration equipment, including the aging filter media, the turbidity levels of the treated water do not meet NYSDOH safety standards even after the water passes through the filters.

The elevated levels of turbidity in the treated water could contain harmful microbes, therefore a boil water order is issued as a preventative measure to protect public health.  Boiling the water kills bacteria and other microbes that may be present.

The New York State Department of Health requires that anytime water is not adequately treated a boil water order must be issued to notify customers. All Fredonia water customers must boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth and making coffee until further notice. Water must be brought to a rolling boil for one minute then cooled prior to use.

Boiled or bottled water must be used to wash dishes by hand; dishes should be allowed to completely air dry after washing. Home dishwashers that reach a temperature of 170⁰F and have a full dry cycle can be used in place of boiled water. The water may be used for bathing as long as it is not consumed. The water is safe for laundry.

Once the turbidity levels drop to acceptable levels and the distribution system has been flushed, the Village will collect water samples on consecutive days to make sure the water is safe. Notifications and press releases will be used to inform the public when the boil water order is lifted.

For more information on boiling water and emergency disinfection visit the New York State Department of Health website at https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/water/drinking/boilwater/. Press releases will be posted on the Chautauqua County website at https://chqgov.com/news.  For more information, residents should call the Village of Fredonia at (716) 679-2307 and Chautauqua County Health Department permitted facilities can call the Health Department directly at (716) 753-4481.

NY-Alert Support – NYAlertSupport@its.ny.gov

www.Alert.ny.gov