LAWRENCE — Twenty-four hours after a water main break at one of the city's treatment plants, Lawrence residents are grappling with a boil water advisory that impacts households and local businesses.
City officials announced the advisory on Saturday afternoon, instructing residents to boil tap water for at least five minutes before using it for cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth.
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Signs warning against drinking the water have begun to crop up around the city, and residents are finding themselves with limited options.
David Lin, executive chef at Cafe Audrey, described how the advisory has affected their operations.
"We heard about it around 1:30 yesterday when one of our customers came in and made us aware," he said. "It’s essential for the kitchen that we have some kind of water to use, whether it be rinsing vegetables or making soups or anything.”
Lin and his team have taken immediate action to adapt to the sudden change.
“We had to go to the store, and I picked up about 15 gallons of water this morning, five cases of water for the staff," Lin added. "It’s fairly frustrating, but we work with it. We talked about closing down for those few days, but we didn’t want to take that step because we want to stay open and keep our customers happy."
As local businesses navigate this challenge, Lawrence officials are working diligently to rectify the situation.
A city spokesperson confirmed to WRTV that the broken water main had been repaired, and the city was awaiting further testing before lifting the advisory.
Updates from the City of Lawrence will be posted here.
