The Charter Township of Alpena announced a boil water advisory shortly after 5 p.m. Monday in parts of the township. Residents of the affected areas are cautioned to avoid drinking water straight from the tap until the issue is resolved. Residents should boil water prior to drinking it or using it for cooking.

Two separate areas are affected: near Golf Course Road and near Hobbs Drive.

The following streets in the Charter Township of Alpena water system lost water pressure and contamination may have occurred: Golf Course Road west of Genshaw, Foxboro Drive, Woodcrest Drive, Sandy Lane, Timber Drive, Woodview Drive, Trowbridge Drive, Long Rapids Road west of Genshaw, Brentwood Drive, Marywood Drive, Victoria Drive, Forest Hills Drive, Woodland Drive, Crestview Drive, and Kelly Road.

The above listed streets in the Charter township of Alpena water system lost pressure on Monday due to a water main break caused by a fiber optic contractor while performing directional boring, a press release from the township stated.

The following streets in the Charter Township of Alpena water system lost water pressure and contamination may have occurred: Hobbs Drive between Shelley Street and Lowell Road, Shelley Street, Lowell Road, and Carew Street.

The above listed streets in the Charter township of Alpena water system lost pressure on Monday due to a water main break caused by a contractor while repairing a water service line.

Due to the loss of pressure in both areas, bacterial contamination may have occurred in the water system. Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment. Corrective measures are currently being undertaken to correct the situation, the township stated in the release.

The Charter Township of Alpena offers the following advice for those affected.

What should I do?

Do not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and preparing food. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Continue using boiled or bottled water until further notice.

What happened? What is being done?

These precautionary actions are being taken due to the loss of water pressure in the water distribution system caused by a water main break. Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended.

The Charter Township of Alpena will get pressure restored as soon as possible, and water department staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples. The samples will be collected to determine that the water quality meets the state drinking water standards. The township will inform residents when tests show no bacteria and you no longer need to boil your water. The release stated that the issue is expected to be resolved by Thursday.

This boil water notice shall remain in effect until results from the sampling verify the water is safe to drink. Customers will be advised when the boil water advisory has been lifted.

For more information, contact the Charter Township of Alpena Water Department at 989-356-0297, by email at waterdept@alpenatownship.com, or by mail at 4385 U.S.-23 N, Alpena, MI 49707.

General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791.