City of Cape Girardeau

***A NEW MAIN BREAK 12/29/24 IMPACTED A NORTHERN SECTION OF THE CITY THRU 1030AM 12/31/24. THAT ADVISORY HAS BEEN LIFTED. CUSTOMERS MAY USE WATER NORMALLY***

FINAL UPDATE
Water Tested Safe Following City-Wide Boil Advisory

12/10/24 at 5 p.m. - All City of Cape Girardeau water customers can continue drinking and using their water normally. The precautionary boil water advisory from Dec. 9 has been lifted. Test results show that City of Cape Girardeau water is clean and safe.

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources regulations require cities to issue boil water notifications when the pressure drops below 20 psi, which can happen when a water pipe is broken. Water samples are collected and sent to a nearby lab for testing. If samples would indicate a water quality problem, an advisory could be escalated to a boil water order.

“We are very glad that the crews got the water main repaired quickly,” said Mayor Stacy Kinder. “We’re thankful for the boots on the ground, the staff in the offices taking customer calls, and the whole team.”

A large pipe from the water treatment plant had burst prompting a boil water advisory system-wide and interrupting water service to some homes on Dec. 9. Customers who had already registered for water and trash service alerts will be notified that the advisory has been lifted. Registrations can take a few days to process. Businesses and residents who have not yet registered may do so at cityofcape.org/getalerts.

ORIGINAL POSTINGS FOLLOW

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UPDATE DEC. 9 AFTERNOON

*City-Wide Boil Advisory Remains, Water Main Repaired*

A precautionary boil water advisory remains in effect for all City of Cape Girardeau water customers after a 14” cast iron water main broke near the Cape Rock Water Plant. Customers in the area near the main break and road closure on East Rock Drive had no water this morning, but their service has since been restored.

Customers city-wide were told to expect lower water pressure during this time, and to boil and cool any water before consuming. Pressure should now be stable, but the precautionary advisory remains in effect until test results come back on or before Dec. 11 at 6 p.m.

Unlike the October 2022 widespread outage incident, officials expect water to continue flowing to Cape customers throughout this advisory. Some customers may experience reddish brown water from water flow changing directions and scouring the cast iron pipes. Some may have milky white water from the pressure lowering and increasing causing air bubbles. Running the water a few extra minutes should resolve the issue.

“We know how disruptive these boil advisories can be for everyone at home, and also for our local businesses, schools, and medical facilities,” said Mayor Stacy Kinder. “We are very grateful for our outstanding team of staff and partners for repairing the main so quickly and working with our customers.”

INITIAL SUMMARY
A precautionary boil water advisory was expanded to include all water customers of the City of Cape Girardeau due to a large water main break near the Cape Rock Water Plant. Customers should expect lower water pressure during this time, and to boil and cool any water before drinking. Results from water testing should be available within 48 hours. Registered affected addresses received text or other notifications. To register your address, visit cityofcape.org/getalerts. An additional IPAWS alert was sent city-wide to warn residents and visitors of the precautionary boil advisory.