UPDATE FEB. 6
SPEEDWAY — The Town of Speedway has officially lifted its Boil Water Advisory impacting residents and businesses since Sunday. Extreme cold weather caused water main breaks, which resulted in the advisory.
Officials say residents may now resume normal use of tap water; however, they advise residents to flush household plumbing and appliances to clear out any stagnant water from the system.
The CDC recommends the following actions after the advisory is lifted:
- Flush all water fixtures and equipment (including faucets, drinking fountains, and any water-fed appliances) before resuming normal use.
- Run cold water faucets for at least five minutes or until a chlorine smell is detected.
- Discard all ice made during the advisory. Clean and sanitize ice machines according to the manufacturer’s instructions before making new ice.
- Replace point-of-use water filters (such as faucet filters, refrigerator filters, and filters on ice machines). Remove old filters first and flush outlets for several minutes before installing new filters.
- Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle if applicable.
- Drain and flush water storage tanks if needed.
- Facilities with specialized systems (such as reverse osmosis units, dialysis systems, or other medical-grade water treatment systems) should follow manufacturer instructions for disinfection and safe restart procedures.
- In some situations, facilities may need to take additional steps to address hot water systems or building-wide plumbing following a long service disruption.
- Residents who use medical devices or equipment that require water (including in-home medical equipment) should consult their medical provider or equipment manufacturer for specific instructions before resuming use.
FEB. 2
The Town of Speedway's boil water advisory will remain in effect until at least Friday afternoon due to ongoing water main breaks caused by extreme cold weather.
Water Superintendent Ronnie Smith consulted with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and was advised that water samples can't be collected until Wednesday to allow the system to stabilize after repairs.
A second sample must be taken 24 hours later, and both must meet state drinking water standards before the advisory can be lifted.
The advisory was issued as a precautionary measure after multiple water main breaks occurred across the community in recent days. Town officials said the breaks were caused by extended extreme cold temperatures and snowfall that froze the ground solid, causing pressurized water mains to shift and break.
"This is not the result of negligence," town officials said in a statement. "There is no reliable way to predict when or where a main will fail, and pipe age is not always a determining factor."
The water is not necessarily unsafe, but residents should boil tap water before drinking, cooking, brushing teeth or washing food until the advisory is lifted.
Boil water advisories are issued in consultation with IDEM and follow strict state guidelines designed to protect public health.
Until the advisory is lifted, residents should:
• Boil all tap water for at least one minute before using it for drinking,
cooking, brushing teeth, or washing food
• Use bottled water as an alternative if available
• Discard ice made with tap water during this time
Water may generally be used for bathing and cleaning, but care should be taken to avoid ingesting water.
