Chicago officials are advising residents not to drink tap water in the Southwest Side communities of Auburn Gresham, Beverly and Morgan Park unless they boil it first.
The boil order follows a leak in a high-pressure water main inside the Roseland Pumping Station on Tuesday night.
It’s unclear what may be contaminating the water. A concern is potential bacteria, including E. coli.
The boil order affects buildings and homes east of Sacramento Avenue, north of 119th Street, west of Interstate 57 and south of 87th Street and southwest of Beverly Avenue, the water department said.
Water needs to be brought to a full boil for at least 5 minutes “to ensure that it’s safe for consumption,” the Chicago Department of Water Management advised. Water then may be stored at room temperature or refrigerated in a closed container.
Free bottled water is available at Ridge Park, 9625 S. Longwood Drive, the city said.
The boil order will be in effect until city officials verify through testing that the water is safe to drink. In the meantime, residents are told not to drink the water, brush teeth with it, wash food or dishes, make ice cubes or any other activity that involves consuming the water.
Water pressure was affected in the three communities from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Tuesday.
A water department spokeswoman said the order was “standard protocol” and declined to comment beyond the statement, which said the order was issued “out of an abundance of caution.” The issue was not related to flooding, she said.
The city did not mention lead contamination in its statement.
Chicago is replacing more than 400,000 lead service lines across the city. Boiling water is not an effective treatment for lead.
Water for laundry, showers and watering lawns is not affected by the order.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is advising the city. An agency spokeswoman did not immediately return a call seeking comment.