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A boil-water advisory issued across the Halifax peninsula on Monday is remaining in effect until further notice.
Halifax Water said Monday that the advisory is expected to persist for at least another 24 to 48 hours.
According to the utility the impacted communities include Halifax, Beaver Bank, Middle and Lower Sackville, Hammonds Plains, Bedford, Timberlea, Spryfield, portions of Fall River, Windsor Junction and Herring Cove.
In a statement, Halifax Water said there “is a possibility of unsafe drinking water” for customers in the listed areas.
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It is advising customers to boil all water for at least one minute before using water for drinking, preparing infant formula, making ice cubes or juices, washing fruits or vegetables, cooking, brushing teeth and any other activity requiring human consumption.
Halifax Water said the boil water order stems from an electrical issue at the JD Kline (Pockwock) Lake Water Treatment Facility, which sources its water from Pockwock Lake.
“This interruption has allowed a limited amount of unchlorinated water to enter the system,” it said. “Staff are tracking this issue and are working on options to flush this untreated drinking water out of the system.”
The utility is in contact with Nova Scotia Environment and the Medical Officer of Health as it monitors the situation.
Jeff Myrick, communications manager for the utility, told CBC Halifax Water is investigating what went wrong and why its backup power system didn’t kick in to allow continued chlorination.
A number of businesses closed Tuesday as a result of the boil-water order, including daycares, restaurants and coffee shops, while many grocery stores have had their shelves cleared of bottled water.
In April, Halifax Water issued a precautionary boil water advisory for Middle Musquodoboit due to a water main break. This advisory lasted several days until the water was deemed safe for consumption after multiple rounds of testing.
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