Bangor Boil Water Notice Lifted After Griffin Road Main Break

Hurray for small miracles and lots of hard work!

Since Wednesday afternoon, over 30 Bangor roads and neighborhoods, including Broadway and Essex Street, have been under a boil order notice.

The order stemmed from a water main break that had occurred along Griffin Road, by the Fire Station and entrance to Husson University.

Thousands of Bangor Water District customers, both residential and business, were told alterted via social media and paper handouts delivered to their addresses that "due to the possibly unsafe water," the City directed people to bring all water they planned to use to a rolling boil for one minute. This meant for everything: drinking, cooking, making ice cubes, brushing teeth; basically, if the water was going into your body, you had to boil it to make it safe, until further notice.

For businesses in the food and beverage industry, like Governor's on Broadway, for instance, that created a challenge. But that didn't stop the restaurant from opening the next day, with some modifications.

"We're using single-use tableware and cups, bottled water for cooking, and antimicrobial soap per the Department of Health guidelines. Unfortunately, we are unable to serve fountain soda until the water lines are flushed and we're given the ok by the Bangor Water District."

Obviously, in the thick of summer heat, that's certainly a giant inconvenience, especially paired with the fact that so many Mainers were also without power following Thursday's storm. But it was a necessary safeguard, and thankfully a short-lived one.

Notice came early Friday morning, when the Bangor Water District lifted the order.

"BOIL WATER NOTICE LIFTED. We will be going door to door, passing out notices. Due to limited staff availability, the office will be closed today as office personnel will be assisting in passing out notices. "

They also notified customers that crews would be out, in much of the same area the boil notice impacted, flushing hydrants as part of a recent purchase of hydraulic modeling software.

So don't be surprised if you see Water District employees in the area of Essex, Broadway, Grandview, Bomarc, Burleigh, Judson, and at Husson University, flushing hydrants today.

If you have any questions about the boil order, you can call the Bangor Water District Office at (207) 947-4516. You can also visit their website by clicking here.