Strohs: Precautionary Boil Advisory Canceled

Update: To our customers affected by the precautionary boil water advisory this week, served by our Strohs Water Company Inc. water system in Pierce County:

On Friday, April 10, Washington Water Service advised customers served by its Strohs Water Company Inc. water system in Pierce County to use boiled or bottled water for drinking and cooking starting on Tuesday, April 14, due to a scheduled outage while our staff installed new mainline isolation valves. Washington Water was notified by the laboratory today, April 16, that follow-up bacteriological samples collected were absent of any coliform bacteria (including those of fecal origin, like E. coli).

Water quality test results confirm that you no longer need to boil your water.

Affected customers who purchased bottled water for use during the advisory, may submit your receipt for reimbursement and a credit will be applied to your account. Please mail your receipt to P.O. Box 336, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Be sure to include your account number and address on the receipt.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Protecting your health and safety is our highest priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Customer Service Center. We can be reached toll-free at (877) 408-4060 or by email at [email protected].

Posted April 10: On Tuesday, April 14, Washington Water will be installing mainline isolation valves near the intersection of Murphy Drive and Eastbay Drive. This work will require that we depressurize a portion of the water system, resulting in an outage to the 58 homes/lots highlighted on the map below.

Washington Water will be on site at 8:00 a.m. and work is expected to be completed by 4:30 p.m. that same day. Chlorine will be used to sanitize all new equipment, plumbing parts, and materials. Once the work is completed, the area will be flushed, background chlorine residuals reestablished, and follow-up bacteriological samples will be collected and tested to confirm that water quality was not affected.

We are also advising that you use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking as a precautionary measure until lab results confirm that no coliform bacteria were introduced during this work. Bring all tap water to a rolling boil for one minute. Let it cool before using. You should use boiled water (or bottled water) for drinking, preparing food, making ice, brushing teeth and washing dishes by hand. Your water is safe for showering, bathing, and for other household uses, including washing dishes in the dishwasher as long as the heat/sanitizing cycle and commercial dishwashing detergent are used.

We expect to receive results from the lab by Thursday, April 16. We will notify you directly when you no longer need to boil your water.

If you choose to purchase bottled water during this advisory, you may submit your receipt for reimbursement and a credit will be applied to your account. Please mail your receipt to our office at PO Box 336, Gig Harbor, WA 98335. Be sure to include your account number and address on the receipt.

We apologize for the inconvenience. Protecting your health and safety is our highest priority. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call our Customer Service Center. We can be reached toll free at (877) 408-4060 or by email at [email protected].