WEST PALM BEACH, FLA (February 5, 2021) -- At around 11 p.m. on February 4, 2021, a 24-inch water main broke in the vicinity of Tamarind Avenue and Second Street in the City of West Palm Beach. This is a large pipe that is coming out of the city’s water treatment plant. This break caused pressure to drop in the water treatment plant, which, in turn, caused pressure to drop throughout the city’s water system.
When the break first occurred, Department of Public Utilities employees began to isolate the pipe and assess the scope of the problem. The city continued to pump out water from the plant, addressed the immediate flooding caused by the break, and worked to restore pressure at the plant. Within an hour of discovering the break, the city notified the Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County. The city also opened two interconnects with Palm Beach County to continue the water service to our customers
This morning, the city notified the public through the city’s emergency alert system, the media, electronic platforms such as social media, newsletters, and website wpb.org. The city also informed area hospitals, government agencies, neighborhood associations, business owners, and other stakeholders.
Until the city rescinds the precautionary boil water notice, customers are asked to use bottled water, or customers can boil their water--using a rolling boil-- for one minute. Alternately, customers can add eight drops of unscented household bleach per one gallon of water and allow the water to stand for one hour before drinking.
The city is temporarily using free chlorine for disinfection and will be flushing out the system to make sure the system is restored. If you are sensitive to the taste or odor of chlorine, keep an open container of drinking water in your refrigerator for a few hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate. Users of home dialysis machines, owners of tropical fish, and managers of stores and restaurants with fish and shellfish holding tanks are advised to seek professional advice, as the method for removing chlorine residuals differs from removing chloramine residuals from tap water.
The water is safe to use for bathing, showering and washing clothes.
The city is making repairs to the pipe, and repairs are expected to be completed today. The water pressure has been restored. However, due to the initial drop in pressure, the city is required to conduct bacteriological sampling throughout the system for two days. Already, staff is collecting samples, and more samples will be collected tomorrow. This is why the precautionary boil water advisory is in effect until further notice.
The city attributes the water main break to aging infrastructure. Recent cold weather may have also been a factor. The broken pipe is approximately 100 years old.
The City of West Palm Beach has a plan in place to address aging infrastructure. In fact, a $22-million project is planned for the Tamarind and 7th Street corridor, where the break occurred. This project will add or improve water, sewer, stormwater, and street infrastructure. The project will include a redundant—or secondary—pipe which is designed to prevent future problems such as the one experienced overnight. Construction is expected to start in March.
As part of its commitment to make water infrastructure improvements, the city unveiled $26 million in upgrades to the water treatment plant in 2019.
The City of West Palm Beach Department of Public Utilities provides water to an estimated 120,000 customers in the City of West Palm Beach, the Town of Palm Beach, and the Town of South Palm Beach.
“The city regrets this inconvenience and apologizes to its valued water customers,” said West Palm Beach Mayor Keith A. James. “We thank everyone who has been impacted for their understanding and patience. Please know that the city is working quickly to address this problem, and we hope to return the system to normal by Sunday morning.”
The city will inform customers when the precautionary boil water advisory is rescinded. Updates will be posted to the city’s website wpb.org and on social media; updates will also be shared with the local news media.
For questions, customers should call the City of West Palm Beach Public Utilities Department at (561) 822-2210 (TTY: 800-955-8771).
