A boil water advisory has been lifted for the Yonge Street and Big Bay Point Road after lab tests confirmed the water is free from contamination and is now safe to drink.
The City of Barrie says residents in the affected area should take precautions to make sure their water lines and appliances are flushed:
• Run all cold faucets for a minimum of five minutes. If the water does not run clear after five minutes contact the City of Barrie Water Operations Branch at 705-792-7920 (www.barrie.ca/waterservices).
• Run drinking water fountains and plumbed household water coolers for a minimum of five minutes.
• Run all water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
• Reverse Osmosis (RO) units: Replace pre-filters and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Replace other water filters, as they are disposable and may be contaminated. This applies especially to carbon filters and others that are near the end of their life.
• Flush, clean and sanitize appliances with water line connections (e.g., fridges with water and ice dispensers) following the manufacturer’s instructions
• Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 45°C (113°F). Normal setting is 60°C (140°F)
• Drain and flush all ice-making machines and soda fountain machines.
• Dispose of any ice made since Friday April 5, 2019.
• Large-volume users (for example, restaurants, retirement homes and schools) may need to run cold water taps for a longer period of time on first use, to ensure the water is not cloudy.
The advisory came into effect after a massive water main break on Big Bay Point Road and Yonge Street in Barrie on Friday morning.
Hours later, the precautionary boil water advisory was issued affecting thousands of residents and businesses. Crews went so far as to shut off water to several homes in the area.
City crews tell CTV News it's one of the biggest they've seen in years.
Barrie Transit has detours in place because of the roadwork being done in the area of Yonge Street and Big Bay Point. This affects Route 4 and 8 and stops in the area of Yonge Street and Big Bay Point are temporarily ‘out of service.’
The city is asking residents and business owners to check around water meters for leaks. They say if you find a leak to contact Water Operations at 705-792-7920.
