Some city residents told to boil water after workers discover broken filter

Public works chief expects to withdraw warning this morning

By Lynn Anderson Sun Staff

A broken filter at the Ashburton Water Filtration Plant off Druid Park Drive forced Baltimore Department of Public Works officials yesterday to advise some residents to boil tap water before drinking it or using it to prepare food.

The advisory went out to residents in an area bounded by Falls Road to the west, Cold Spring Lane to the north, Hillen Road to the east and Monument Street to the south.

"We are asking people to boil their water for at least a minute for drinking and food preparation purposes," said

George L. Winfield, acting director of public works, during a news briefing at the downtown Abel Wolman Municipal Building.

"You don't need to boil it for bathing or washing," Winfield said.

Winfield warned that people with weak immune systems might experience diarrhea, cramps, headaches, fatigue, nausea or jaundice if they drank the water.

Because of the broken filter, the water system was found to violate the turbidity standard set by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency. Turbidity is a measure of the cloudiness of water.

The filter -- one of 20 at the Ashburton facility in West Baltimore -- broke about noon yesterday, Winfield said.

About 45 minutes later, workers discovered it and cut the flow of water.

Winfield estimated that about 1 1/2 million gallons of water might have been contaminated.

In an effort to cleanse microbes from the system, crews opened fire hydrants in the affected area, Winfield said.

Experts tested water samples for the presence of microbes, Winfield said.

"It should be at normalcy now," he said of the water quality as of about 8 p.m. yesterday.

Winfield said he expected to lift the advisory today.

Originally published on Feb 21 2000

http://www.sunspot.net/cgi-bin/gx.cgi/AppLogic+FTContentServer?section=cover&pagename=story&storyid=1150230205330

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), February 21, 2000