UPDATE: Boil water advisory lifted in Jefferson City

Missouri American Water customers living in the outlined area of Jefferson City are under a precautionary boil water advisory after a contractor broke a water main on Missouri Boulevard Wednesday. (Submitted by Missouri American Water)
Missouri American Water customers living in the outlined area of Jefferson City are under a precautionary boil water advisory after a contractor broke a water main on Missouri Boulevard Wednesday. (Submitted by Missouri American Water)

Missouri American Water announced at just after 7 p.m. Thursday night that a precautionary boil water advisory that was issued Wednesday for Jefferson City was being lifted and the water was safe to drink.

Water quality tests completed earlier Thursday confirmed there were no health issues with the water, according to an company press release.

The affected area was generally bounded by the Missouri River on the north, just west of Eastland Drive on the east, north of Stadium Boulevard on the south, and along Missouri 179 on the west.

The boil order advisory was issued after a contractor who was not working for the company broke a 12-inch water main on Missouri Boulevard between Bolivar Street and U.S. 50 on Wednesday. Water system pressures then dropped below 20 pounds per square inch.

EARLIER COVERAGE

Missouri American Water is continuing its boil water advisory for much of Jefferson City until at least early Thursday evening.

The company advised customers in an automated telephone message Thursday morning that water quality tests are being conducted, and based on results from those tests, the advisory would either be lifted or extended into the next day as necessary.

The affected area is generally bounded by the Missouri River on the north, just west of Eastland Drive on the east, north of Stadium Boulevard on the south, and along Missouri 179 on the west. (See map for precise boundaries.)

To confirm whether an address is within the affected area and check the advisory's current status, customers can enter their address on the boil advisory map on the Missouri American Water website. The impacted area affects about 8,000 customers.

Company officials characterized the advisory as precautionary. Missouri American Water first urged its customers to boil their drinking water Wednesday after a contractor who was not working for the company broke a 12-inch water main on Missouri Boulevard between Bolivar Street and U.S. 50. Water system pressures then dropped below 20 pounds per square inch. 

The company recommends water for the affected customers be brought to a boil for three minutes prior to consumption until further notice. Tap water is okay for washing, bathing and other non-consumable uses during this period.

This article was updated at 10:20 a.m. Oct. 17, 2019. It was edited a few moments after initial posting on Oct. 16 to restore a missing word in the first paragraph to indicate the contractor was not working for the water company.