TALLMANSVILLE – Residents living in the Mt. Hope Water Association Inc. area have been asking questions about a string of boil-water advisories they’ve received lately.

In an effort to find answers, My Buckhannon made a call to the water company to get to the bottom of the situation.

The Mt. Hope Water Association Inc. issued boil water advisories recently, including one June 8 that was lifted June 10; one July 23 that was lifted a week later; and one Aug. 1 that was lifted Sunday, Aug. 3.

Jessie Fumerola, an employee in the Mt. Hope Water Association office, said the boil-water advisories have been issued due to a break in an old water line.

“It’s just an old line, and it keeps breaking in the Bryan Foster Road area,” Fumerola said. “We are trying to fix what we can and keep the system running.”

Fumerola said when there is an issue with the system, the Mt. Hope Water Association sends out a “boil water” advisory message to those who are signed up and issues the advisory to local media outlets to alert customers.

When there is a break, the advisory to boil water does not mean the water is contaminated; it simply means residents in the area should follow the advisory to assure their water is safe.

When a boil water advisory is issued, those affected should boil water being used for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth.

So, exactly how long should the water be boiled for? Fumerola said the water should be brought to a full boil and boiled for one minute and cooled completely before using.

Water system officials said boiling water kills bacteria and other organisms that may be present in the water and recommend the following steps:

• Throw away beverages and ice cubes if they were made with the tap water.

• Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking.

• Do not swallow water while showering or bathing.

• Provide pets with boiled water after cooling.

• Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling.

The Mt. Hope Water Association Inc. has been around for decades and serves approximately 1,200 customers around the Tallmansville Road.

Fumerola said when there is a break in the system and a boil-water advisory is issued, samples of the water are sent for testing and when the water is determined to be suitable for consumption, the advisory is lifted. Residents who want to receive notices from the Mt. Hope Water Association Inc. can do so by signing up on their website or by signing up for emergency and weather-related alerts from the Upshur County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management by texting ‘UpshurCoWVAlerts’ to 69310 or clicking here.

The Mt. Hope Water Association Inc. is located at 1925 Tallmansville Road in Buckhannon and is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday; their phone number is 304-472-2526. They have a governing board that meets on the third Monday of each month.

Fumerola asks that customers who have questions call or visit the office.

“We hope everyone will be patient and if people have questions, they are welcome to give us a call,” she said.