[CREDIT: KCWA] A boild water advisory is in effect for the highlighted areas of Major Potter Road. (Affected sites are highlighted on the attached map.) Kent County Water Authority customers in the Spencer Hill and Stonebridge Crossing condominiums are not impacted by this water main break, so this boil water advisory does not apply to them.

UPDATE JAN 19 – 1:36 P.M.: The Kent County Public Water System was notified by the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) on January 18 that the precautionary boil water notice issued to its customers could be removed.

WARWICK, RI — Some homes served by the Kent County Water Authority near the Quaker Lane and Maj. Potter Road intersection are under a Major Potter Road boil water advisory, the utility warned late Friday afternoon.

Customers of the Kent County Water Authority (KCWA, PWS ID# RI1559511) marked in yellow in a map released by the KCWA, should boil their water before consuming it. Customers in the Spencer Hill or Stonebridge Crossing condominiums are not part of the warning, the Rhode Island Department of Health noted. Affected customers are being contacted directly by Kent County Water Authority. (Affected sites are highlighted on the attached map.)

Officials say a water main break in the area of Major Potter Road in Warwick could have caused a loss of water pressure. Low or no pressure increases the risk of contamination that can enter through cracks in the pipes.

Boil Water Advisory Info

For customers on a boil water advisory, all water used for consumption should be boiled vigorously for at least one minute. This recommendation includes water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation. Alternatively, customers can use bottled water. Infants and young children should not be bathed in this water because they may swallow it accidentally. Anyone else using this water for bathing or showering should be careful to avoid swallowing the water.

Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Affected customers should continue to boil their water until KCWA repairs the water main break, increases the chlorine in the system (within safe levels), flushes the pipes, and collects one day of bacteria samples at each routine sampling location, as long as the samples are absent of bacteria. An announcement will be made when the advisory is lifted.

If the water becomes contaminated with human or animal waste, microbes in these wastes can cause short-term health effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

A healthcare provider should be contacted if someone is on this water system and has diarrhea and any of the following symptoms:

Fever over 101.5° F, measured orally
Blood in the stool
Prolonged vomiting that prevents keeping liquids down (which can lead to dehydration)
Signs of dehydration, including a decrease in urination, a dry mouth and throat, and feeling dizzy when standing up
Diarrheal illness that lasts more than 3 days.

Customers with questions can call KCWA, at 401-821-9300 between 8 a.m. – 4p.m.

Author: Rob Borkowski

Rob has worked as reporter and editor for several publications, including The Kent County Daily Times and Coventry Courier, before working for Gatehouse in MA then moving home with Patch Media. Now he's publisher and editor of WarwickPost.com. Contact him at editor@warwickpost.com with tips, press releases, advertising inquiries, and concerns.

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