Boil water notice issued for Heavenly area of South Lake Tahoe

7PM Update: A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for residents on the Heavenly mountainside of Pioneer Trail between Ski Run Blvd and Fern Road. The boil water advisory is issued out of an abundance of caution and is expected to be resolved within 48 hours.

Impacted households should only use tap water that has been boiled vigorously for one minute or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution to avoid stomach or intestinal illness. Tap water may still be used for bathing, hand washing, and laundry.

The leak has been isolated, and water restored to most neighborhoods. The precautionary Boil Water Notice is issued due to a loss of water pressure from the watermain break. Water pressure keeps pollutants from entering the underground pipes that bring drinking water to your house or business. When the pressure is lost, it is possible that contaminants could seep into the pipes. STPUD advises the notice does not mean that the water is contaminated, it means it is possible for contaminants to enter the pipes and affect drinking water. Until required bacteria testing is completed, we recommend boiling tap water before consuming it to kill any potential contaminants, or using bottled water.

Changes in water pressure can stir up sediment in water pipes. For customers within the City of South Lake Tahoe outside of the boil water advisory area, it is recommended to flush your waterline by running the cold-water faucet on your bathtub or the outside spigot for 5-10 minutes, or until the water runs clear.

Contact South Tahoe Public Utility District at 530-544-6474 or visit www.stpud.us for more information.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - A contractor working on Lake Tahoe Blvd. between Wildwood Avenue and Midway Road hit a 14-inch water main, resulting in a widespread water outage in South Lake Tahoe at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Reports are outages from the Hampton Inn area to Stateline.

South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) is working to isolate the leak and restore water. Once water is restored, customers are advised to flush their waterline by running the cold-water faucet in their bathtub or outdoor hose spigot for 5-10 minutes, or until the water runs clear.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.