Cairo boil-water order extended until further notice

A boil-water order in Cairo, Illinois, issued Thursday was extended until further notice Friday by Illinois American Water.

The water system is undergoing what Illinois American Water described as "around the clock" repairs to fix distribution leaks caused by recent extremely low temperatures. The leaks resulted in a loss of water pressure, which necessitated the boil-water order in the Cairo Water District's service area.

Mike Brown, operations superintendent for the Cairo Water District, said at least eight leaks in the distribution system have been isolated and said repair crews are "working hard in a challenging situation due to cold temps and snow cover."

The leaks caused water pressure in the system to drop below 20 pounds per square inch, which triggered the boil-water order as a health and safety precaution.

While the boil-water order is in effect, water system customers are asked to bring their water to a "rolling boil" for five minutes before using it for drinking or cooking. However, it does not need to be boiled for washing, bathing and other common uses.

Customers are asked to check the Illinois American Water website, www.illinoisamwater.com, for updates about the water system status and about water quality in general.