Photo by Josh Jambor Crews work to repair the broken water main between 1st Avenue and 2nd Avenue, on Ripley Boulevard. City Engineer Steve Shultz says a 24-inch water supply line burst.

ALPENA – On Wednesday night, the City of Alpena issued a boil water notice for Alpena, after a large water main ruptured on Ripley Boulevard.

It is unknown when the advisory will be lifted.

The water main break forced a loss of pressure in the water system while could cause bacteria in the water.

Bacteria are generally not harmful and are common throughout our environment, the city said in a press release Wednesday night.

The water boil advisory forced some businesses to close, schools to close, and it could be a couple more days until it is lifted.

Schools in Alpena are also closed today.

The update from the city says before the water boil order is lifted, the city must have two consecutive sets of samples collected, 24 hours apart, that results in no bacteria being detected.

The first samples were collected Thursday morning, and the city is waiting for the results to return.

Ripley Boulevard, between First and Second Avenues, was closed Thursday, as crews worked on the break.

The city advises that you should not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for at least one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.

Alpena City Engineer Steve Shultz said in order to find out how long this boil water notice is expected to last, it must wait for the test results to return.

“We are expecting the boil water notice to last two days, beginning Thursday morning,” Shultz said.

Shultz advised that the best way to help the crew working to fix the water main break is to avoid the area altogether.

“Try and stay clear of the area if you can. The less traffic in that area the better,” Shultz advised. “The crews need to concentrate on the task at hand.”

Shultz said the water pipe that burst was a large 24-inch diameter pipe.

Whenever a water system loses pressure for any significant length of time, precautionary measures are recommended.

Many Alpena residents reported a lack of water pressure shortly after the water main broke. The break occurred as Alpena City firefighters were battling the fire downtown.

The press release states, “the City of Alpena has pressure restored to most of its customers and water department staff will be taking other remedial actions such as flushing and collecting bacteriological samples.”

According to the CDC.gov, “a boil water notice is a preventative measure implemented to prevent diseases caused by waterborne bacteria and parasites like Giardia.”

The boil water notice caused several closings and cancellations in the area.

Numerous businesses had to close or postpone opening on Thursday, including the restaurant at Bob’s Bullpen, the Blue Moon Café, and Hungry Hippie.

Alpena Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Paige Fisher said anytime a business has to close unexpectedly, it hurts their bottom line.

“Any temporary closure is challenging for businesses, especially small businesses, which is why timely repairs and clear communication are so important,” Fisher said. “The sooner normal operations can safely resume, the better for everyone involved.”

Fisher praised the City of Alpena for keeping the public up to date.

“We appreciate the transparency and regular updates from city staff as repairs continue,” Fisher said.

She added that any setbacks for a small business can be costly, in times like these if you do not already shop local, it’s a good time to consider it.

“Patience, understanding, and shopping local, go a long way during short-term disruptions like this,” Fisher said.

Alpena Township also issued a press release regarding the boil water advisory.

“South North Street is the only area in the Charter Township of Alpena that is affected by a boil water advisory. The watermain break in the city of Alpena did not affect the vast majority of Charter Township of Alpena homes and businesses.”