Monroe County’s Precautionary Boil Water Notice Has Freezing Impacts on Some Restaurants – The B Square
A hot cup of coffee to go from the Village Deli on Kirkwood Avenue. (August 18, 2024)
Iced coffee from Bloomington Bagel Co. on Dunn Street. (August 18, 2024)
A precautionary boil water advisory issued by the City of Bloomington Utilities for all Monroe County residents on Saturday afternoon impacted area restaurants on Sunday morning.
Although ordinary citizens could decide for themselves whether they wanted to follow the recommendation to boil water, this was not an option for catering establishments.
They had to follow the regulations of the Monroe County Health Department.
This is the protocol included in an email message sent by the Monroe County Health Department to food service establishments in the area.
The following water sources must be boiled or disinfected:
All water used in beverages such as coffee, tea or vending machines
All water used as an ingredient in food (e.g. spices, sauces, dressings, desserts, etc.)
All the water used to make ice cream
All water used for hand washing
All water used to wash and disinfect surfaces that come into contact with food
All water used to wash the products
All water used to disinfect the wipes
All the water used in 3-chamber sinks
Compliance with health department regulations had varying impacts on different restaurants, as measured by the availability of hot coffee within a two-block radius of downtown.
On Sunday morning, the Starbucks on Indiana Avenue north of 4th Street was closed well beyond its posted hours, but there was no sign indicating that the closure was due to the boil water order.
The Bloomington Bagel Co. was open on Dunn Street across from People’s Park – but hot coffee was not on the menu.
The large coffee machines used by BBC have a direct water connection, meaning it is not possible to fill the machines with pre-boiled or jug water. However, iced coffee was still available as it is prepared a few days in advance.
Up the street from BBC, Village Deli offered its usual hot coffee. That’s because Village Deli’s coffee preparation relies on old-fashioned coffee pots that don’t have a water connection. However, vending machines were not available.
The boil water advisory coincided with Indiana University dormitory move-in day on Sunday, August 18.
The drinking water standard in question is a “turbidity” value, which indicates how clear or cloudy the water is. According to the City of Bloomington (CBU), high turbidity itself has no health effects.
However, turbidity can impair disinfection and provide a breeding ground for microbial growth, according to CBU.
The high turbidity that triggered the boil water alarm was due to a specific operator error related to the sand used for filtering in the water treatment plant.
Holly McLauchlin, communications manager for the city of Bloomington’s utilities, said Saturday she expects the CBU to lift the precautionary boil water advisory by Monday.
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