UPDATE
KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — A boil water advisory issued for homeowners along the eastern portion of Royce Avenue in Milwood is being lifted. It was issued a few days ago following a water main break. Bacterial tests on the water show that it’s safe to drink.
ORIGINAL STORIES
KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Homeowners and Businesses at West Main and Sage on Kalamazoo’s west side are now free to go ahead and start drinking tap water again after a holiday boil water alert was declared on Christmas Eve. The water tests are back and the water is free of bacteria.
Just as that water issue has been resolved, there the City has announced another water main break on Royce Avenue from Moreland Street to Pennway Street in the Milwood Neighborhood and another boil water alert.
Affected homeowners are advised by health officials to boil any water they plan to ingest for two minutes first, or going with bottled water until the water tests are completed.
Homeowners in the area may also experience some traffic disruption as they repair the water main. They are hoping to be able to lift the boil advisory on Saturday.
If it seems like Kalamazoo’s water system appears to be falling apart and with all these boil water advisories and water main repairs, don’t be overly concerned.
Utilities Director Jim Baker says they have about 300-line breaks a year, a figure that has been fairly consistent for decades. What has changed is their method of repairing them, which often means pressure drops and a marginal risk for contamination.
Before, they never announced the breaks unless they caused a traffic problem, they just fixed them. Now because of the small risk of a health problem, they issue a boil water alert in a press release.
He says they are slowly replacing older, less flexible water mains with new ones that are engineered to be more durable, but it takes time and money.
