Pump station failure leads to boil water advisory in north Clayton

CLAYTON COUNTY, Ga. - A pump station failure early Monday morning triggered a boil water advisory for residents across northern Clayton County. 

What we know:

A pump station failure occurred around 1 a.m. Monday, causing water pressure to drop or cut off completely for customers in northern Clayton County. The affected communities include Forest Park, Lake City, College Park and Morrow.

Dispatched crews addressed the system failure and reestablished normal water pressures by roughly 4 a.m. Monday. Because the pressure drop creates contamination risks, the Clayton County Water Authority issued a mandatory boil water advisory for the impacted northern areas.

Customers in other parts of the county were not affected and do not need to boil their water. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division has been notified of the incident.

What we don't know:

Water officials have not specified what caused the pump station to fail at 1 a.m. Monday. Officials have also not stated how long the boil water advisory will remain in effect. 

What you can do:

Impacted customers should use bottled water or boiled water that has cooled for drinking, brushing teeth, washing produce, preparing food or baby formula, making ice and feeding pets.

To properly boil water, bring a pot to a rolling boil where bubbles rapidly rise from the bottom for one full minute. Turn off the heat, let it cool and store it in a clean, covered container.

Anyone experiencing cloudy or discolored water should run their outside spigot until the stream runs clear. Customers still experiencing water issues can call 770-960-5200 or send a private message to the Clayton County Water Authority on Facebook.