ALERT: Boil water order issued in Lewes

The Lewes Board of Public Works has issued a boil water order for all BPW customers, inside and outside Lewes city limits.

BPW Board President Tom Panetta told the Cape Gazette there was a total system failure at about 4 a.m., Aug. 20, that left many Lewes residents without water. As of 10 a.m., he said, crews were still trying to troubleshoot the problem, but the water pressure was starting to return.

Panetta said water samples have seen sent to the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services testing lab, but it will take 18 hours to get the results, so the boil water order was issued as a precaution.

Information on the BPW website says its customers should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth and food preparation until further notice.

Panetta said it is important that people not use hot water at all, because that could draw sediment into their home’s water heaters.

Panetta noted that Beebe Healthcare has its own system and is not impacted by the boil water order. He also said BPW is in communication with the Cape Henlopen School District, which has BPW service.

For more information on the boil water order, go to lewesbpwde.gov.