UPDATE: The Chautauqua County Health Department announced it has lifted a conservation and boil water order for the Town of Portland and the Village of Brocton.
ORIGINAL: The Chautauqua County Health Department has issued a water conservation order for all Village of Brocton and Town of Portland customers and a boil water order for all customers on Webster, Ellicott, and Dahlberg Roads due to a water main break Monday afternoon.
Village of Brocton and Town of Portland customers should reduce water usage by 50% until further notice.
- Do not use any water outside of your home or business including washing cars, watering lawns, pressure washing, etc.
- Limit washing clothes during this period or use a commercially available laundromat.
- Use paper plates and disposable silverware to reduce washing dishes.
- Only run automatic dishwashers when completely full.
- Use less water for baths and take shorter showers.
- Do not let water run unnecessarily such as while brushing teeth or shaving.
A boil water order helps kill bacteria and other microbes that could be present.
- Water for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth and making coffee must be brought to a rolling boil for one minute then cooled prior to use.
- Boiled or bottled water must be used to wash dishes by hand; dishes should be allowed to completely air dry after washing.
- Home dishwashers that reach a temperature of 170⁰F and have a full dry cycle do not need boiled or bottled water.
- The water may be used for bathing as long as it is not consumed.
- The water is safe for laundry.
Water District staff are working to fix this. For more information, you can contact the Village of Brocton at (716) 792-4160, the Town of Portland at (716) 792-9614, the Chautauqua County Health Department at (716) 753-4481or check the Health Department website online here.
