The City of Bloomington Utilities issued a precautionary water boil advisory for Monroe County late Saturday night through Monday at 3 p.m.
According to a city press release, the advisory is due to turbidity levels higher than the maximum amount permitted for drinking water standards. The advisory recommends that water used for drinking, cooking or oral hygiene be boiled for at least two minutes prior to consumption.
Turbidity is the measure of how clear water is and can be caused by a number of materials. The press release did not state what specific materials caused the turbidity.
The city advised Monroe County residents with cloudy water to run cold water from a faucet until the water clears. Additionally, the advisory states that it is not necessary to boil water for other household uses like laundry or bathing.
The press release stated that elevated turbidity levels are due to low water production levels at the Monroe Water Treatment Plant caused by overnight storm-related power outages.
Indiana University sent out an IU Notify alert early Sunday morning informing students of the advisory and warned that water bottle filling stations and water fountains should not be used during the advisory period.
Additionally, the university recommended that students who don’t have a way to boil water consume bottled water.
IU Recreational Sports posted on Instagram Sunday morning that it has limited amounts of drinking water available, advising people to bring their own water to facilities, including the Student Recreational Sports Center and Bill Garrett Fieldhouse.
Some coffee shops and dining establishments around Bloomington are allegedly closed or limiting their services, with Hopscotch Coffee posting on Instagram Sunday morning that they are open “and following all recommended cautions” in relation to the advisory.
