Water main repair begins tomorrow

Sarasota County will begin repairs to a water main in the Gateway Avenue area 9 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25. Approximately 30 businesses and more than 200 residences will be affected and have been notified.

A precautionary boil water advisory will be issued after repairs are completed. While the county has no reason to believe the drinking water was contaminated, Florida law requires that drinking water providers issue precautionary boil water advisories to customers affected by pressure losses in water mains.

While the advisory is in effect, the county advises affected customers to boil all tap water intended for drinking, preparation of food, washing of food utensils, making ice, brushing teeth or for first aid. Make sure water is brought to a rolling boil for one minute. Boiling the tap water disinfects it, destroying any harmful microorganisms. Bottled water can be used as an alternative to boiling the tap water.

Over the next few days, the county will collect a series of samples in the affected area and analyze them to ensure potentially harmful bacteria didn’t contaminate the drinking water during the service interruption. Customers will be notified when the boil water advisory has been canceled.

For more information, contact the Sarasota County Call Center at 861-5000.

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].