Cedar Rapids Today

City of Cedar Rapids issued the following announcement on August 22.

The City of Cedar Rapids is lifting the precautionary water advisory for all customers in the NE quadrant previously affected. Final testing confirmed water is safe for personal consumption.

Results of bacteria sampling and chlorine monitoring revealed all testing parameters are within normal limits and confirmed that the water is safe for consumption.

Affected Residents are Reminded to Flush Internal Plumbing

Any time water service is impacted by a brief outage, it is always a good idea to flush internal plumbing in a home or business. There may be air in the line, or a cloudiness in the water associated with increased turbidity. These symptoms are expected, and the water has been confirmed safe to drink.

Steps to clear the water:

• Run cold water after an outage through a faucet that does not have an aerator screen. Bathtubs and hose bibs are good candidates.
• Open faucets slowly to allow the air to escape. Air will make a spurting or hissing sound as it escapes through the faucet.
• Once the water is flowing, allow the faucet to run for up to five minutes to ensure the service line is thoroughly flushed. The first water may be cloudy due to air in the water or particles that dislodge as the pipes fill with water. The cloudiness should clear fairly quickly.
• It may take up to 48 hours for the turbidity to settle down once the system is restored to normal configuration. Continue to run cold water through a faucet daily until these symptoms go away.

If kitchen or bathroom faucets do not perform normally following a water outage, it may be necessary to remove the aerator screen. Typically, the aerator can simply be unscrewed from the faucet. Inspect the screen for small particles and rinse away any you find. Reinstall the aerator and test performance of the faucet again. If you experience difficulties, such as low pressure throughout the house following a water outage, call Utilities Water Division at 319-286-5900 for assistance during regular business hours.

The precautionary drinking water advisory has been lifted for all affected addresses, including:

• 1421 Hollywood Blvd NE
• 1433 Hollywood Blvd NE
• 1427 Richmond Road NE
• 1432 Richmond Road NE
• 1433 Richmond Road NE
• 1438 Richmond Road NE
• 1439 Richmond Road NE
• 1445 Richmond Road NE
• 1450 Richmond Road NE
• 1453 Richmond Road NE
• 1457 Richmond Road NE
• 1460 Richmond Road NE
• 1461 Richmond Road NE
• 1500 Richmond Road NE
• 1501 Richmond Road NE
• 1504 Richmond Road NE
• 1505 Richmond Road NE
• 1508 Richmond Road NE

The City of Cedar Rapids is no longer advising residents within this area boil their water before using it for cooking or consumption. We apologize for any inconvenience and thank our customers for their patience. 

Additional information is available online at www.CityofCR.com or by contacting Customer Service at 319-286-5900 during normal business hours (7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday).

Original source can be found here.