Due to a loss of water pressure in a section of Newport's distribution system, residents are being asked to boil their drinking water until tests can confirm it is safe to drink. A water main break at NE 5th and Eads St. Tuesday evening forced the City to de-pressurize the system in that area. Newport's Director of Public Works, Tim Gross, says the State requires a boil water notice to go out after they de-pressurize any water system.
Gross- "What the City does is we take a test immediately after we repair the water line and it takes 24 hours for us to get the results. And so tomorrow morning we should have the bacteria test results in. And I don't think we've ever not had one that has passed. Because the likelihood that the line being contaminated is very slim."
Gross says people need to bring their water to a full boil for at least one minute to ensure any bacteria are removed. The area affected is two blocks west of the high school between NE Eads from 5th to 7th St, and NE Douglas from 4th to 6th.