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The letters showed up on Monday, warning some Farmville residents to boil their tap water. They had been hand-delivered to an area affected by a water break, running from the 1200 block of High Street to the end of the road, along with Germantown Road, Westhill Drive and Buffaloe Lane. Now town officials say it’ll likely be at least one more day before it’s safe for people in those areas to stop boiling. 

According to Farmville Town Manager Scott Davis, the first report about the break came Monday morning, after a resident called Public Works about water in the road on High Street. Now the good part? That line was fixed by Monday afternoon. But there was a small problem. 

“The Town was not able to keep positive pressure on the line during the repair,” Davis said. “When this occurs, for safety reasons, we have to advise folks affected in the area out of precaution to boil water that will be consumed until we can do the required chlorine and bacterial testing and have the results.” 

Davis said that Public Works should have the first test results back by 10 a.m. Wednesday. At that point, “depending on the results, we will either lift the water boil notice or keep it until another test can be concluded.” 

Rules for Farmville affected area

To be clear, for the affected area mentioned above, any water used in cooking or drinking needs to be boiled or storebought until the restrictions have been lifted. If you decide to boil water, you need to let it boil for at least a full minute to eliminate any potential bacteria inside. Then, of course, let it cool before using.

If you don’t have access to electricity for whatever reason, Farmville Public Works officials say a bleach product of at least 5.25% concentration would work as well. They recommend eight drops of bleach, the equivalent of one fourth of a teaspoon for every gallon of water. If you go this route, stir the water afterward and let it sit for 30 minutes after adding the bleach. 

Now for anyone with concerns or questions, you can call Farmville Public Works at 434-392-3331 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. If it’s a problem after hours, if you spot another break or a similar issue, you can call the non-emergency line at 434-392-3332.