UPDATE: As of 12:00 p.m. Saturday Dec. 9, the boil water alert has been lifted. All new samples collected and tested by MSDH labs came back clean, with no indication of bacteria or contamination.
The City of Oxford and parts of the UM campus are under a state-imposed boil water notice as of Dec. 7. According to a release from the City of Oxford Utilities, The Mississippi State Department of Health issued a system-wide boil water notice due to a contaminated water sample.
Health officials are recommending that all water be brought to a boil for at least one minute before it is used for consumption, experiments, washing dishes, washing fruits and vegetables and brushing teeth. It is safe to wash your hands and bathe as usual as long as no water is swallowed.
A comprehensive list of dos and don’ts can be found below:
The boil water notice affects all City of Oxford residents who receive their drinking water from the City of Oxford’s water supply — 14,650 customers are affected. According to UM Emergency Management, this includes the following parts of the UM campus: Campus Walk, South Campus Recreation Center, the South Oxford Center, Jackson Avenue Center, Rowan Oak, the University Museum, the Carriage House, Brandt Memory House, Walton-Young House, the Music Building, the Ford Center, The Ole Miss Golf Course, the University-Oxford Depot and the University Oxford Airport.
According to the release, the City of Oxford will be re-collecting samples on Dec. 7 and Dec. 8. The samples will be processed on Dec. 9, after which point the city will lift the notice if cleared by MSDH officials to do so.
This is a developing story.
IMPORTANT BOIL WATER NOTICE: affecting all customers who are served by the City of Oxford/Oxford Utilities. pic.twitter.com/LkBX9vMXcB
— City of Oxford (@cityofoxford) December 7, 2023
