The Water Division may issue a boil water advisory when there is concern a problem with drinking water may exist, but it has not yet been confirmed. This may be done, for example, after very low water pressure or a main break event and while waiting for the results from tests for confirmation in water samples collected for bacteriological analysis. The analysis results should be available the next day.
A boil water order is issued by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to public water systems when a threat to the public health exists, or is likely to exist, that boiling the water will remedy. The public water system is then required to notify consumers as soon as possible, and by the most effective methods, that need to boil their drinking water.
Boil Water Advisories and Orders are always listed on our website and the City of Saint Louis Website. Information is also distributed to the local news media as well.
If you would like to be notified any time these events are posted to our website, please sign up for the City’s Emergency Alerts through NotifySTL.
The following steps need to be taken:
Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled.
Supervision of children is necessary while bathing or using backyard pools so water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
The presence of fecal coliform or E. coli bacteria is a common cause for issuing a boil water order.
Other instances include low water pressure and inadequate levels of chlorine at systems that require chlorination. High turbidity levels, cross connections, inadequate treatment techniques and the presence of other microbial pathogens such as Giardia or Cryptosporidium are potential causes for boil water orders that occur less frequently.
Disease symptoms may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea and possible jaundice and associated headaches and fatigue.
These symptoms, however, are not just associated with disease-causing organisms in drinking water; they also may be caused by a number of factors other than your drinking water.
Persons with reduced immune function, infants under six months in age, and the elderly are more seriously impacted by water-borne disease.
Immune function may be reduced due to chemotherapy for treatment, organ transplants or diseases such as HIV/AIDS. Persons in these groups need to contact their personal physicians for additional information.
Buying bottled water may be a feasible alternative to boiling drinking water when under a boil water order.
Bottled water operations are routinely inspected, and samples are analyzed by state health agencies. This offers a safe source of water for drinking, cooking and brushing teeth.
To learn more about your drinking water, call the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
If you are served by a public water system, call the EPA’s Safe Drinking Water hotline.
If you get your drinking water from a private well, contact the Missouri Department of Health.
For more information:
In November 2024, the City of St. Louis Water Division contacted through the mail all property owners whose service line material is categorized as lead, galvanized requiring replacement, or unknown. Water customers were asked to respond to a survey online or by phone to help the Water Division update its inventory.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has created this video guide to help identify your service line material.
The City of St. Louis Water Division is aggressively pursuing grant funding to pay for replacement of lead service lines on behalf of the property owners; this program will require applications and have eligibility requirements. At this time, City ordinances do not allow for the replacement of privately owned lead service lines using revenues collected through water rates. The City is developing a zero-interest loan program to assist property owners who choose to replace their lead service lines at their own expense.
Yes!
Exposure to lead in drinking water can cause serious health effects in all age groups. Infants and children can have decreases in IQ and attention span. Lead exposure can result in new learning and behavioral problems or exacerbate existing learning and behavioral problems. The children of women who are exposed to lead before or during pregnancy can have an increased risk of these adverse health effects. Adults can have increased risks of heart disease, high blood pressure, kidney, or nervous system problems.
Lead in drinking water, although rarely the sole cause of lead poisoning, can significantly increase a person’s total lead exposure. Infants who drink baby formulas and concentrates that are mixed with water containing lead are particularly at risk. The EPA estimates that drinking water can make up 20% or more of a person’s total exposure to lead.
For more than 20 years, the City has been treating its water with an optimized corrosion control treatment strategy, which minimizes the absorption of lead from customers’ service lines or internal plumbing. The Water Division routinely tests City water, and this treatment has been shown to be effective in keeping lead levels in customers’ homes well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency action level of 15 parts per billion, and also well below the 10 ppb action level set to take effect in 2027. The Water Division tests water quality at the treatment plants multiple times a day and tests the water at a representative sample of homes with lead service lines to meet the EPA’s regulatory requirements for compliance.
