Long Beach cancels boil water notice following water main break

About 125,000 customers in Long Beach were under a boil water notice Thursday after a water main break the day before, leading the city's utility department to issue the requirement.

Customers in the 90805, 90807, and portions of the 90806 zip code were asked to boil water until further notice. Early Friday morning The Long Beach Utilities Department lifted the boil water order, saying results from water quality tests were clean, clearing water safe to drink. 

"In the last 24 hours, Long Beach Utilities conducted 117 analyses of water samples in the impacted zip codes, and concluded the water is safe to drink," the department said.

The water main break happened Wednesday around 11:20 a.m. in the California Heights neighborhood, near the intersection of Orange Avenue and East Wardlow Road. Water gushed through streets in the area until it was capped around one hour later.

Long Beach utilities notified customers of the break Wednesday and conducted system flushing, which removes naturally occurring sediment that settled after the loss of water pressure. That sediment is not harmful according to the department.

"This evening, the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water (DDW), and the Long Beach Utilities Department issued a Boil Water Notice. Long Beach Utilities Department made this decision out of an abundance of caution after experiencing low water pressures during a significant water main break at 3502 Orange Avenue earlier today," the department said in a statement. 

Residents and businesses in the affected areas were asked to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking, as a safety precaution to avoid illness.

Boil water requirements:

• Do boil all water for one (1) minute (rolling boil). 
• Let water cool before drinking. 
• Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice. 
• Boiling water kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. 

If unable to boil water, household unscented liquid bleach may be used.

• For clear water, use 8 drops (1/8 tsp.) of bleach for 1 gallon of water. For cloudy water, filter through a clean cloth and use 16 drops (1/4 tsp.) of bleach for 1 gallon of water. 
• Mix well. Allow to stand for 30 minutes before using. 
• Water may taste or smell like chlorine. This means disinfection has occurred.