The New River Valley Water Authority has issued a boil water notice effective immediately for all Christiansburg customers.
The Virginia Department of Health in conjunction with the Montgomery County Health Department, and NRV Regional Water Authority Water System are advising residents to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution. This precaution is necessary due to historic flooding on the New River creating challenging water quality conditions and finished water turbidities exceeding 1.0 NTU.
Instructions for boiling water:
- Prior to drinking water from the PSA's water system, bring the water to a rolling boil for approximately one minute. This will help destroy bacteria that may have contaminated the drinking water.
- Caution: Use extreme caution with boiling water to avoid burns. Allow the water to cool before using.
- Hot tap water is not a substitute for boiling water. Water from a water heater is not intended for drinking.
- Additionally, if your freezer has an automatic icemaker, discard all the ice cubes and turn off the icemaker until the "boil water" notice is lifted.
If you cannot boil your water: If you do not have access to gas or electricity to boil water, the NRV Regional Water Authority has provided the following water purification instructions:
- An alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity available is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼ teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.
- Water purification tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Potable water is available at the following locations: local grocery and convenience stores.
For additional questions, please contact Christiansburg's Assistant Director of Public Works Utilities, Justin Shepherd: 540-835-8490 or jshepherd@christiansburg.org.
View the New River Valley Regional Water Authority notification.