The Chautauqua County Health Department has issued a boil water order for the Village of Fredonia until further notice.
Residents are asked to boil or used bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. The department advises bringing water to a boil for one minute and letting it cool before use.
A failure at the village's water treatment plant has resulted in cloudy water that may contain harmful microbes.
Water will be tested for the next few days as repairs are made to the plant's chemical feed pump. The boil water order is expected to be in place at least until Saturday.
In an update late Wednesday afternoon, the health department said problems at the treatment plant continue and the facility is not able to produce water that meets standards. Water now being used by customers is coming from the village's storage tanks, which are being depleted. A limited supply of water is coming in from neighboring Dunkirk.
Fredonia water customers are now being strongly urged to conserve water, preferably cutting usage in half and using only what is necessary. The village is asking that residents limit showers, avoid doing laundry, and use paper and plastic plates and eating utensils to avoid the need to wash dishes.
Residents are urged to spread the word to neighbors about the situation.