Precautionary boil water notice issued for all of Babcock Ranch

A precautionary boil water notice has been issued for the entire Babcock Ranch community following a brief power outage at the area’s water treatment plant Friday.

According to Town and Country Utilities, the outage was caused by Phase III construction activity and temporarily reduced water pressure at the treatment plant.

The notice affects all homes and businesses in Babcock Ranch.

Officials say residents should bring tap water to a rolling boil for one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making coffee or tea, preparing baby formula, washing fruits and vegetables, or making ice. Residents may also use bottled water instead.

The utility says tap water is still safe to use for showering and washing hands with soap. However, anyone washing their hands to prepare food should use boiled or bottled water.

Officials also recommend turning off automatic ice makers until the notice is lifted. Ice made before the notice was issued is considered safe.

The precautionary boil water notice is expected to remain in effect for at least 48 hours while water quality testing is completed. The notice will be lifted once bacteriological testing meets state and federal requirements.

Residents will be notified when the notice is revoked through the same notification used to issue it, and updates will also be posted on the Babcock Ranch Independent Special District website.