Boil advisory to remain in place for rest of week in Cape

The 14-inch water main that broke Monday forcing Cape Girardeau officials to issue a boil water advisory was repaired Tuesday afternoon, according to a news release from the city.

At a noon news conference Tuesday, city manager Kenneth Haskin characterized the break as "unprecedented."

"We like citizens to not think about where their water comes from, and it's a good day when people can trust that their water is safe to drink and they don't think about where it comes from," said Erica Bogenpohl, city water manager. "Yesterday and today were not good days."

According to the state Department of Natural Resources website, a boil advisory is issued by a public water system when water may be contaminated, normally because of low-pressure events. They are issued while waiting for test results to confirm whether water has been contaminated. Results can take up to two days.

Boil orders are often issued by DNR to public water systems when the water is likely, or has been confirmed to be, contaminated.

Water for consumption, cooking, dishwashing or brushing teeth should be boiled for three to five minutes to sterilize it and then cooled before use, guidelines say. Water used for bathing does not need to be boiled, but children should be supervised, and people with cuts or severe rashes should consult a physician.

The initial advisory was issued to around 14,000 customers Monday, following the break. It was later expanded to the entire city and will likely last the remainder of the week.

"We are hopeful to restore verified-clean water by the weekend but encourage all customers to prepare for a longer water advisory," a city release said Tuesday afternoon.

Bogenpohl said the 14-inch main break was discovered at 4 p.m. Monday in the area of the 1500 block of Big Bend Road. Crews spent the next several hours working to isolate the main.

The pipe that broke was first installed in 1931. Bogenpohl was hesitant to give a percentage but estimated that 20% of the city's pipes are of a similar age.

Aging infrastructure, specifically in the downtown area of Cape Girardeau, is supposed to be addressed by upcoming Capital Improvement Sales Tax projects.

Bogenpohl said an ongoing drought created a "double-edged sword" causing the pipe to break.

"So, not only is the ground dry, which is causing movement, but additionally it's putting significant strain on the water system itself," Bogenpohl said. "So, we've been putting out high pressures and high volumes of water."

Crews worked overnight Monday and well into the day Tuesday to fix the problem. The fix is permanent, Bogenpohl said.

The water plant was up and running again Tuesday afternoon, and partially treated water is being introduced into the system. The boil advisory will still be extended for at least two more days while the water is tested and verified. Two days of 20 bacteriological samples will be tested by the state Department of Natural Resources to determine whether the water is safe for consumption.

At the conference, Haskin thanked numerous partners for helping the city during the crisis. The City of Jackson opened up its pipes, beginning Monday night to allow Cape Girardeau to use some of its reserves. Haskin also mentioned that Walmart and Sam's Club have been working to make sure shelves are stocked.

Haskin said U.S. Rep. Jason Smith has been in contact with state officials and the Federal Emergency Management Agency about helping with the issue.

Cape Girardeau Fire Department Chief Randy Morris said at the news conference department personnel have been working with other area fire departments to get reserve water to be used in emergencies. As a result, he said the department had access to an additional 4,000 gallons of reserve water on wheels as of noon Tuesday.

The city has been working with area organizations to get bottled water shipments to Cape Girardeau during the boiled advisory. Much of those reserves have been sent to Florida to help with emergency efforts related to Hurricane Ian.

The Cape Girardeau Fire Department handed out one case of water per vehicle Tuesday afternoon at the Shawnee Park Center and Osage Centre.

School districts in the city closed Tuesday, and Southeast Missouri State University announced it would be closed today as well. Events scheduled on campus were also canceled.

University officials encouraged residence hall students who can safely travel home to do so to reduce the demand on the limited water capacity on campus and advised students to conserve water as much as possible.

"I know it's been frustrating, but rest assured, our team is on top of it," Haskin said of the situation Tuesday.

Numerous times throughout the news conference he thanked workers and officials for their efforts during the emergency.

More updates are expected throughout the week. Further information may be found at www.cityofcape.org/urgentalert.