Authorities are advising some Beaufort residents to “boil their water before drinking, cooking or dishwashing” after a water main break in the downtown area Tuesday afternoon.
The advisory area includes “all of downtown Beaufort from the County Office Building on Ribaut Road to Carteret Street and up through Pigeon Point; to Bay Street and the Old Point,” according to Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority and South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.
“The advisory is being issued because a contractor hit a line, causing water pressure to drop,” according to a press release from Sewer Authority officials.
SCDHEC requires “a boil water advisory as a precautionary measure when such an event occurs that allows the possibility for bacteria to enter the public water system,” the press release said.
The water main break also snarled traffic in downtown Beaufort.
Authorities are asking motorists to use a different route in downtown Beaufort during Tuesday rush hour after a break.
According to an alert from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office, the southbound lane of Carteret Street is closed as of 4 p.m at the intersection of Craven and Carteret streets near the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce building.
The lane is closed from North Street to Port Republic Street, according to Google Maps.
Motorists should take Bay Street or Ribaut Road to get around the area, city of Beaufort officials said on Facebook Tuesday.
Information about the boil advisory can also be found here.
This story was originally published January 08, 2019 4:24 PM.