Fifty homes are still without water after a catastrophic burst to the City of Whitefish's water main this morning. Parts of Baker Avenue south of downtown remain closed after crews dug up the street to isolate the leak.
Whitefish remains under a boil water advisory. That means water should be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill potential bacteria, says Whitefish City Manager Adam Hammatt.
"We don't think there should be anything, but at the same time it's always better safe than sorry. That's the reason we put the boil water advisory in place," Hammatt says.
Initial tests are coming back clean, according to Hammatt, but there’s still a potential for water contaminated with infectious bacteria to leach into the city’s water system. He adds that people with compromised immune systems, infants and some elderly may be at increased risk.
While water pressure has returned to most homes in Whitefish, the city’s water department asks customers to continue to conserve water to allow the system to pressurize.
The boil water advisory stands until the city receives full, clean test results.