UPDATED: Water Boil Advisory for Southwest Baltimore County Cancelled
UPDATE: 9/7/2022, 10 p.m.
Baltimore City’s boil water advisory for southwestern Baltimore County has officially been lifted after testing confirmed that E.coli was NOT DETECTED in the County’s water supply. Tap water in Baltimore County is safe to drink and precautionary boiling is not necessary.
While the bacteria had not originally been detected in Baltimore County water, it was found present in part of West Baltimore and a precautionary advisory was issued for areas just outside of the city. Additional details: https://bit.ly/3BooQ5q
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Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) officials on Monday shared that E. coli bacteria has been detected in samples of the water supply in the Sandtown-Winchester and Harlem Park neighborhoods of West Baltimore. While this bacteria was not detected in Baltimore County, as a precaution a boil water advisory has been extended across areas of Southwestern Baltimore County, including Arbutus, Halethorpe and Lansdowne.
Residents living in the covered areas are advised to use bottled or boiled water for drinking, preparing and cooking food and brushing teeth. Tap water – including filtered water from a refrigerator – should be brought to a full, rolling boil for at least one minute and cooled before using. When showering, any consumption of water should be avoided, and parents/guardians are advised to give small children sponge baths to avoid swallowing water. Full CDC boil water advisory details can be found HERE.
Residents can use the city’s interactive map to determine if they are within the advisory area.
“The health of Baltimore County residents is a top priority, and we want to be sure that everyone in the advisory area is taking all of the necessary precautions,” said Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski. “While Baltimore County does not have operational control of the water system, we are making some of the County's certified water testers available to assist the city's efforts in quickly resolving this issue.”
Water will be distributed at the following sites in southwest Baltimore County from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Wednesday, September 7:
- Baltimore County Public Library’s Lansdowne Branch, 500 Third Ave., Lansdowne, 21227.
- Fire Station 5, 4501 Washington Blvd., Halethorpe, 21227.
- Our Lady of Victory, 4416 Wilkens Ave., Baltimore, 21229
Baltimore County Public Schools provides bottled water to students and staff at schools in the area, and meals for those students will be prepared in facilities that are not covered by the boil water advisory.
Baltimore County will share additional information as it is received.