City of Akron Water Division Issues Precautionary Boil Water Advisory for Portions of Kenmore and Coventry Township

City of Akron Press Release
Published: 07-22-2020

Akron, Ohio, July 22, 2020 – A water main break on a 24” water line near 267 North Firestone Blvd. occurred last evening causing reduced water pressure for customers in portions of the Kenmore neighborhood of Akron and Coventry Township.  The City of Akron has isolated the broken main and has returned most customers back to normal operating pressure.  Akron has dispatched repair crews to the site and has initiated the repair of this line with an expected completion by this evening. 

As a precaution, the City of Akron Water Division is issuing a boil water advisory for Akron drinking water customers located south of Wilbeth Ave. and west of South Main Street.  The limits of the advisory are shown in red on the enclosed map. In accordance with EPA regulations, all customers within this area are advised to boil their water until further notice.   Water used for drinking or cooking should be brought to a full boil for a minimum of 2 minutes and returned to the proper temperature before use.  This advisory will be in effect until further notice, but for a minimum of 24 hours.  

Further, the break in this water line may also cause additional disruptions in water quality including discolored water within and around this area, and/or potentially a temporary increase in lead levels in the drinking water.

As a standard practice the U.S. EPA recommends the following actions to reduce possible lead exposure in drinking water:

• If water has not been used for several hours, run the tap until there is a noticeable temperature drop. Then, run water for 30 seconds to 3 minutes before using it for drinking and cooking. This helps flush water that may have contained lead that may have leached from plumbing.
• Use cold water for cooking, drinking, and preparing baby formula. Boiling the water will not reduce lead.
• Clean your faucet aerator regularly.

For additional information visit www.drinktap.org or www.epa.gov/safewater/lead.

A release will be issued when the boil water advisory is lifted.  Please contact the Akron Water Distribution Dispatch at 330-375-2420 for further updates.

For further information, contact:
Annie McFadden
Chief of Staff
Phone: 330-375-2345
E-mail: [email protected]