JACKSONVILLE, Fla — JEA has released an updated statement on the boil water advisory effecting the St. Johns Town Center and Tinsel Town business districts, which includes an apology for delays getting the word out to customers.
Friday at 12:30 p.m., JEA alerted customers in what they call the Sandalwood area -- the part of Jacksonville which receives its water from the Sandalwood plant -- that their water needs to be boiled due to the possibility of E. coli in the water.
However, a statement from JEA says that some customers were not alerted right away.
JEA says that additional tests will be conducted and the boil water notice could be lifted as soon as Sunday.
You can read the statement in full below:
"The precautionary Boil Water Advisory for the Sandalwood area remains in effect, a day after JEA detected E. coli in a sample collected from wells on Saints Road, near its Oakridge Water Treatment Plant. Testing results from Friday’s samples showed clear results, and JEA is continuing testing today.
If results are clear again on Sunday morning, the precautionary Boil Water Advisory will be lifted for the Southside area that includes more than 19,500 JEA customers. JEA is working to ensure the drinking water is not contaminated in the interest of community health and safety. State regulations also require that water utilities have two consecutive days of negative samples from a laboratory.
The positive E. coli sample was detected in water ahead of the plant’s treatment system. JEA tested for and did not find E. coli in the distribution system, the plant’s water treatment system. JEA closed the Oakridge Water Treatment Plant after confirming the results on Friday morning.
In the early afternoon on Friday, JEA alerted local media outlets and posted messaging on its social media platforms. The utility sent notifications via text, phone and email to impacted customers. JEA also posted notices and signs at apartment complexes in the Southside area to ensure residents were aware.
However, JEA learned late on Friday night that messaging did not reach all customers in a timely manner. JEA leaders apologize for the delay and are working to address the issues.
JEA encourages residents in the impacted area to check JEA.com/bwa and local media for updates.
JEA is complying with all the state Department of Environmental Protection reporting requirements."
The area effected is shown in maps below:
