MONTICELLO – Residents in north Lawrence County were under aboil-water notice after a leak in the Sontag-Wanilla WaterAssociation pipeline caused a lack of water pressure in thesystem.

The notice affects all customers in Sontag and on Ruby Lea Road,Sontag-Nola Road, and Rankin Road; and Malcolm Road and Bypass Roadsouth of the railroad.

The notice was issued strictly as a precaution by the waterassociation and the state Department of Health, said Alvin Ashley,president of the water association’s board of directors.

“We don’t think there’s anything wrong,” he said. “It’s just aprecaution because of a leak in the line. We had to shut down asection of line to repair the leak and that relieved pressure onthe line.”

When a distribution system loses pressure, contaminants cansiphon back into the water, according to the health department’snews release. Public health officials consider any system thatloses pressure contaminated until tests prove otherwise.

Ashley said the repairs were made Wednesday and the first of tworequired water tests was taken that afternoon with the second testmade Thursday. Those samples were sent to the health department fortesting and the notice will be lifted after two consecutive goodresults.

“It could be (lifted) as early as today, but if it’s not todayit won’t be until Monday or Tuesday because they’re closed on theweekends,” Ashley said.

Until the notice is lifted, the health department advises peopleto bring water to a roiling boil for one minute to destroy anyharmful bacteria before consuming it.