Boil Order Lifted In St. Paul, Tap Water Safe To Drink
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) - An underground water line ruptured early Saturday in downtown St. Paul, flooding several city blocks, and causing a widespread drop in water pressure -- prompting city officials to warn customers to use water only after boiling for three minutes.
That water boil advisory has since been lifted -- announced by the city around 6 a.m. City officials say it is now safe to drink the tap water.
Crews were able to fix the broken main by Saturday evening. The water main was originally installed in 1952, and fatigue is being cited as the cause of the failure. More than 1.7 million gallons of water spilled out of 20-inch main located on Wall Street.
Before the boil order was lifted, businesses like The Bulldog Lowertown bought 50-100 gallons of water to ensure there was enough supply for cleaning at the end of the night.
They posted signs on the front door to let customers know the water situation. Per the boil order, The Bulldog had destroyed their supply of ice, and bought purified ice from a local company. Soda guns were replaced with canned soft drinks and bottled water was served instead of tap water.
The Xcel Energy Center sold bottle water to fans at the discounted price of $2 a bottle at concession stands. And the Schmidt Organic Well on West Seventh sold water at 75 cents per gallon – proving to be one of the most popular destinations on Saturday for St. Paulites.
