Whitesburg, KY October 19, 2009 - There is a Boil Water Advisory for Whitesburg for customers from the campus of Southeast Community and Technical College west to the Whitesburg Housing Authority. The Advisory is in effect through Thursday, October 22, 2009.

What to do when your municipal water supplier issues a “boil water advisory”

What is a “Boil Water Advisory?”

A Boil Water Advisory (BWA) is issued to protect the health of the community from the possibility of waterborne infectious agents. A BWA is issued only after careful consideration among representatives from public health, regulatory agencies and municipal departments after positive tests (e.g., positive samples for fecal coliforms, changes in turbidity measurements), or line breaks.

What should I do when under a “Boil Water Advisory?”?

For personal use, create a supply of water for cooking, drinking and tooth brushing by bringing water to a rolling boil for 1 minute. Timing starts when the water starts to bubble. Cool the water then place in clean containers for use or refrigerate.

Hot (not boiled) soapy water can be used for dishwashing and kitchen / bathroom surface cleaning. As a precaution, add one tablespoon of bleach per gallon. Laundry water does not need to be treated. Unless specifically listed on your notice, water for showering does not need to be treated.

If so you can sign up to receive a phone call when there is an emergency or other vital information for Letcher County. The new One Call Now system is in place in the county and if you have a land line telephone in Letcher County you are in the One Call sysytem, but cell phone users must register their cellular telephone numbers. It is fast and easy to do – start by clicking the link below -

Sign Up for Letcher County’s Emergency Notification System

Listen to an announcement about signing up for the One Call System

Letcher County Emergency Response Network or LCERN will gather residents, elected and other government officials, emergency response personnel, local business owners, health care providers, community action agencies, local and regional media, and other key stakeholders to develop a comprehensive and strategic plan to keep everyone in the county accurately informed in the event of immediate or ongoing emergencies.