Almost 3,000 customers of the Lincoln Rural Water Association insouthern Copiah County will have to boil their tap water for atleast one minute before using over the coming days.

The Mississippi State Department of Health issued the boil waternotice Tuesday. The notice is in effect for LRW customers who livein and around the Beauregard community north of Wesson.

The LRW office said the notice affects customers livingbasically from Wesson to Martinsville. The streets named includedBeall Road, Broom Road, Cline Road, Dixie Garden Road, James Drive,Lowery Road, Stegall Road, Timberlane Road, Tyson Road and HardyStreet in Wesson.

LRW Field Manager Billy Walker said the notice was issuedbecause the association purposefully deactivated a well inBeauregard to perform maintenance on a water tank. He said thereare no damaged water pipes, and the notice is basicallyprecautionary.

“Any time you have a well completely down from the system, youhave to put out a boil water notice,” he said.

Walker said the loss of pressure in the system alwaysconstitutes a boil water notice.

Walker said the association had planned to bring water into thearea from another well, but the well was unable to flow enoughwater. He said the system in Beauregard was turned off atapproximately 4 p.m. Monday but is now back online.

The association will soon begin testing the water quality andsending the results to the department of health, Walker said. Theboil water notice will remain in effect for the next few days untilthe health department lifts it, he said.