Boil Orders

Boil orders are public notifications that tap water should temporarily be boiled for drinking, cooking, and other human consumption uses. Boil orders are typically precautionary in nature.

When are Boil Orders Issued?

Boil orders are issued as a precaution any time the water system pressure falls below 20 PSI.  They can be planned or an emergency. Planned boil orders occur after work such as scheduled repair or replacement of water mains or fire hydrants are performed. Emergency boil orders occur after unscheduled system work or damage occurs, such as water main breaks or leaks.

When a Boil Order is in Effect...

  • When a boil order is in effect, affected customers will be notified.
    • A door hanger will be placed on the door(s) of the affected customer(s).
    • The boil order will be posted on www.eastmoline.com
    • Customers may also sign up for boil order notifications here.
  • Affected customers should either boil water for five (5) minutes or use bottled water for all water used for human consumption, such as for drinking and cooking. It is not necessary to boil or use bottled water for watering plants, doing laundry, and taking a shower.
  • Once a boil order is issued, and the water is turned back on, water department staff will collect water samples from affected homes to check for bacterial contamination that may have occurred while the water system was being worked on.
  • When a customer first uses water after the water has been turned back on, they may notice water discoloration and/or air in the pipe. This is normal. We highly recommend flushing the cold water at each faucet for several minutes until any discolored water or air is out of your home’s pipes. See below for flushing instructions.
  • The boil order will be in effect for 72 hours or until bacterial samples are collected from affected homes and tested (at least 24 hours). Affected customers should check the city’s website and/or social media for boil order updates.
  • Affected customers should check the city’s website and/or social media for boil order updates.

When a Boil Order is Lifted...

  • Affected customers will be notified via updates at www.eastmoline.com
  • Boil orders will be lifted either after bacterial testing was found to be negative or 72 hours after the boil order was issued if no bacterial samples were obtainable.
  • There is no need to boil water or use bottled water for human consumption after a boil order is lifted.