Palmetto Bluff residents advised to boil their water after water main break Thursday
Residents in Palmetto Bluff are being advised to boil their water before they use it after a water main break in the area Thursday, according to a press release from the Beaufort Jasper Water and Sewer Authority.
The water main break in Palmetto Bluff took place around 10:45 a.m. and officials won’t know what caused it or how to fix it until Friday, said BJWSA Director of Public Affairs Pamela Flasch.
“Our crews were on the scene as soon as we could get them out there,” Flasch said. “It’s going to be an all-night process as we get to the source of the break.”
If residents plan to use water from their taps for cooking, drinking, bathing or dishwashing, they need to boil it first to kill any bacteria, a press release said.
Water utility companies must issue a boil water advisory as a “precautionary measure” because of the possibility of bacteria, according to the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, the press release said. A loss of water pressure may allow bacteria from soil and groundwater to get through to water pipes, cracks or leaks, and it could also cause backflow.
The front entrance to Palmetto Bluff is blocked while crews work to fix the issue, according to Bluffton Township Fire District spokesperson Capt. Randy Hunter. Residents are being directed to the construction entrance in the meantime.
A 3,000-gallon water tanker has been positioned at the fire station in Palmetto Bluff in case there is an emergency and fire hydrants don’t work, he said.
Residents are being notified via Palmetto Bluff’s management company. When asked when the boil water advisory would end, Flasch said it was contingent on the repairs.
This story was originally published January 27, 2022 at 6:16 PM.
