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The City of Watervliet remains under a boil water advisory after routine monitoring detected inadequate disinfection at the city's filtration plant. The advisory, issued on Sunday (April 13), warns residents to use boiled or bottled water for drinking, cooking, and other household uses. According to Mayor Charles Patricelli, the issue arose from a failure in one of the chlorination devices, which led to potentially harmful microbes entering the water supply. These microbes can cause symptoms like diarrhea, cramps, nausea, and headaches.
The city has corrected the disinfection error, but further testing is required to ensure water safety. Mayor Patricelli stated, "We have corrected the device but need to conduct testing per the Health Department regulations and, once approved, everyone will be notified of the lifting of the advisory." The advisory is expected to last up to three days while testing is completed.
Residents are advised to bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute and let it cool before use. The city is also working with the plant's monitoring company to determine why the malfunction was not immediately detected. For questions, residents can contact the City of Watervliet Filter Plant at (518) 785-7082 or the Albany County Health Department at (518) 447-4620.