FREDONIA, NY (WKBW) — The boil water order that was issued in the Village of Fredonia on July 8 remains in place nearly a week later.
On Monday, two more bottled water giveaways were held. Fredonia firefighters and other volunteers handed out hundreds of cases of water.
"I'm hoping they resolve the problem soon," said one man who arrived early for the noon giveaway.
"It happens an awful lot," said another man waiting in a long line of cars.
WATCH: 'Getting really tiring': Fredonia residents have now gone nearly a week without drinkable tap water
Restaurants and other food businesses have been hit especially hard. Owners say they're getting a little too good at dealing with the water issues.
"Kind of got it down pat, it's happened a few times," said Sue Corsi, store manager at Tuscany Market and Deli, which was bustling with customers Monday at lunchtime.
Workers have been boiling water and cooling it in orange buckets around the clock to make sure they have enough clean water to properly run the kitchen.
“We have to be careful we don't burn ourselves," Corsi said. "We have to get the guys to lift the water buckets. They're five-gallon buckets that we pour in there.”
Dennis Colt, co-owner of Domus Fare diner on Main Street, said they're fed up with having to boil water for everything. But of course, they do it.
“It just makes a lot more work for us," Colt said.
On July 10, we spoke to Fredonia Mayor Michael Ferguson, who said that an employee "mishap" is what led to the village being under a boil water order.
"Unfortunately, it was a mishap where an employee put too many chemicals in the water, and it caused extreme turbidity, which brought up all the silt from under the tank, so that's where we're at right now," said Ferguson.
Ferguson said that the employee has been fired.
WATCH: Mayor: Ex-employee caused issue that led to Boil Water Order being issued in Fredonia
Crews say they're working around the clock to stabilize and reduce particles in the water.
