Savannah issues partial lift of boil water advisory, some areas still need to boil water

The city of Savannah issued Saturday evening a partial lift of its boil advisory for portions of the affected areas, according to a City of Savannah press release.

City water customers east and south of Garden City are no longer under the advisory. Water tests for those areas have shown no presence of coliform bacteria and the water is safe to consume, the press release said.

Areas still under the advisory consist of those in west Savannah and west Chatham County, including The Highlands, the Savannah Hilton Head International Airport area of Savannah, Pooler, Port Wentworth, areas of Bloomingdale, portions of unincorporated Chatham County, areas of Effingham County, and Prosperity Drive in Garden City, according to the release.

The city’s map outlining impacted areas show those no longer under the advisory in green and those still impacted in yellow.

“City staff will continue to test water samples through Sunday morning to confirm safe usage and will coordinate with Georgia Environmental Protection Division on the data,” the press release said.

Background: Savannah officials provide insight into timing, cause of near citywide boil water advisory

The city announced the boil water advisory for a majority of its water customers Friday night after increased turbidity, or cloudiness, was detected in water at Savannah’s Industrial & Domestic Water Treatment Plant.

The increased turbidity was caused by an interruption in a pipe that pumped a disinfecting chemical into the system. The issue was fixed around 5 p.m. Friday, city officials said.

The city advises customers still under the advisory to boil water being used for consumption until the advisory is lifted. The city has issued these guidelines for safety:

• Fill a pot with water.
• Heat the water until bubbles come from the bottom of the pot to the top.
• Once the water reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for at least 1 minute.
• Turn off the heat source and let the water cool.
• Pour the water into a clean container with a cover for storage.

Evan Lasseter is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@gannett.com.