Monmouth’s citywide boil water order is over. The city’s Public Works Department lifted it Wednesday morning after laboratory results met Illinois EPA and federal drinking water standards.
Tap water may be used as usual for drinking, cooking and food preparation, according to the city.
Before returning to normal use, Public Works recommends residents take a few steps:
- Throw out ice made during the order.
- Run cold water for one to two minutes at each tap that sat unused.
- Flush refrigerator and freezer water lines and dump the ice bin.
The order took effect at 10 a.m. Monday after the submersible motor in well 8 failed. That well had been the remaining source for the south water treatment plant since an Aug. 13 lightning strike took wells 4 and 5 out of service.
Well 5 had already been structurally repaired and was in service testing on a regulatory timeline. State rules required the boil order and bacteriological sampling until the lab work was finished.
Public Works thanked residents and businesses for boiling water or switching to bottled during the order and for giving crews room to finish the well work.
