Perry A. Farrell

Detroit Free Press

A boil water advisory issued by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department includes all of downtown, Midtown and most of the east side, according to a revised press release.

The original advisory didn't make it clear the extend of the area effected by the advisory. Most news media, including the Free Press, reported it affected parts of Detroit and Highland Park and Hamtramck..

The original advisory said residents and businesses south of McNichols and east of Linwood and west of Conner are advised to boil water before drinking it or using it to cook. A revised advisory made it clear that the area extended south to the riverfront, taking in downtown, Midtown, Corktown and the area east of downtown to Connor.

Officials said the advisory could last through Thursday night and possibly into Friday morning.

The advisory was issued after a temporary drop in pressure in the water supply Tuesday evening raised concerns bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system, according to the news release. Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout the environment, the release said. Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended.

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View the Boil Water Advisory Map

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The Great Lakes Water Authority and DWSD are working to get pressure restored, and water staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples from around the system. The samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standards. GLWA and DWSD will inform customers when tests show no bacteria and customers no longer need to boil water.

According to the advisory, you should bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice, according to the release. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.