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Boil water notice lifted after 2nd negative test

Posted at 11:03 AM, Jul 23, 2016
and last updated 2016-07-24 07:20:24-04

The Erie County Health Department has lifted the Boil Water Notice minutes after the Erie County Water Authority had extended it.

Customers of the Erie County Water Authority system located in the towns of Amherst, Clarence, Lancaster and areas north of Broadway in the Town of Cheektowaga as well as the villages of Depew, Lancaster and Williamsville no longer need to boil their tap water.

Water samples collected from the affected areas were analyzed and determined to be negative for bacteria indicating that the water was not contaminated during the recent water main break. Customers may resume using their water as they normally would.

Thousands of people in parts of the Towns of Amherst, Clarence, Lancaster, Newstead and Villages of Williamsville, Lancaster and Depew were asked to boil water for the past several days.

Around midnight Wednesday night, crews had identified the water main break and capped it off. The break was centered at the National Grid site on Frankhauser Road near between the Sheridan Drive and Millersport Highway exits of I-290.

Earl Jann, the commissioner of the Erie County Water Authority, told 7 Eyewitness News that old pipes were partially to blame for the water main break. "It's a matter of old infrastructure," he said. "We have a lot of old pipes in our system. Gradually, we've come a long way with a pretty aggressive plan to repair a lot of this old pipe. But it takes time, it's very expensive, and it takes time to make those kind of repairs."

Jann says that they've had other breaks in the past, but crews were able to isolate those breaks much quicker because they were found faster.

According to the Erie County Health Department, when water mains lose pressure it increases the chance that untreated water and harmful microbes can enter your water.

Harmful microbes in drinking water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms and may pose a special health risk for infants, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you should seek medical advice.

Any questions can be directed to either the customer service department of the Erie County Water Authority at (716) 849-8444 or the Erie County Department of Health at (716) 961-6800.