Boil water advisory issued during final stage of water main construction

DELMAR, Del. – A boil water advisory has been issued for part of Delmar through Wednesday afternoon.

The area effected is along Grove Street, from 6th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue. We’re told contractors thought a pressurized pipe they were working on was abandoned.  Potential contaminants got into the water supply after contractors reacted and placed a cap on the pipe.

This construction is part of the town’s third phase of a project to replace water mains that were four inches thick with eight inch pipes that comply with current standards. The main purpose is to bring in more water to the town for better fire protection.

Town officials say the water should be safe to use, but ask the public to use caution.

“The water itself should be fine. We anticipate that there’s not any issues with the bacteria in the line. So everybody should be OK,” said town manager Sara Bynum-King. “You can certainly cook with it and bathe with it, but we just, if you want to drink it, just make sure you boil it first.”

Two tests were done on the water supply, the results for those should be back Wednesday.

The advisory lifts Wednesday at 3 PM, and the construction is expected to be complete by July 15.