Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency after a pipe providing tap water to Boston and surrounding communities leaked, causing a huge outpouring of water into the Charles River. The leak led to the governor issuing what the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is calling a “boil water order,” which could last several days.
At Boston University students were urged by an emergency alert to conserve their water. Dining halls will be open until 2 a.m. to provide water. BU is in the process of acquiring large amounts of bottled water to be distributed in the dining hall and also for food preparation, according to the alert.
“We’re asking people to conserve [water] and use it sparingly until we can get more resources on campus,” said BU spokesman Colin Riley.
A sign posted on residence halls on Bay State Road instructed students not to drink the contaminated water.
The order applies only to drinking water; it is safe to wash dishes, bathe, and do laundry, said Ria Convery, a spokeswoman for the MWRA.
“I’ve been here for 21 years and I’ve never heard of anything like this happening,” Convery said, adding that the MWRA is unsure what caused the leak.
The executive director for the MWRA told The Boston Globe that the leak began between 10 and 11 a.m. this morning at a pipe in Weston. The result is that water from other sources will be used to fill Boston taps. However, this water has not undergone a sufficient level of treatment, Convery said, so it needs to be boiled before drinking.
People undergoing chemotherapy or with H.I.V. are at particular risk, she added.
A list of the 31 communities affected by this order is available at the MWRA website: http://www.mwra.com/updates/leak.html
Staff writer Neal J. Riley contributed reporting to this article.
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