The boil water advisory issued for Collingwood on Friday was amended Saturday afternoon by the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit. The advisory was originally issued broadly on a precautionary basis while the integrity and safety of the municipal water system were confirmed. Following further investigation of the watermain break located near Hume Street and Pretty River Parkway, it was determined that the impact is limited to specific areas of the community and does not affect the entire Town. Only residences and businesses within the impacted areas mainly in the eastern and southern parts of the Town, including Highway 26 East and surrounding areas east of the Pretty River and properties between Poplar Side Road and Tracey Lane/Findlay Drive remain under a Boil Water Advisory; all other areas are no longer under an advisory.
For those located in other areas of Town not highlighted, they should take the following steps before using their water:
- Run all cold faucets for a minimum of five minutes. If the water does not run clear after five minutes, contact the Town of Collingwood.
- Run drinking water fountains for a minimum of five minutes.
- Large-volume users (for example, restaurants) may need to run cold water taps for a longer period of time on first use to ensure the water is not cloudy.
For residents and businesses within the impacted area under the advisory, drinking water directly from the tap is not safe at this time and can result in illness. Residents are advised to boil their water before use or, as an alternative, use bottled water or commercially treated water from an approved source. Restaurants, bars and other food service in the impacted area (excluding facilities that sell pre-packaged food) must remain closed for the duration of the advisory.
