Boil order issued for 12 metro-east communities; 2 schools cancel

Due to a brief drop in water pressure, Illinois American Water has issued a boil order for a portion of its customers.

The areas under the boil order are:

▪  Alorton

▪  Brooklyn

▪  Cahokia (not including Commonfields Water Department customers)

▪  Canteen

▪  Canteen Township

▪  Caseyville (not including Village of Caseyville Water Department customers)

▪  Centreville (not including Commonfields Water Department customers)

▪  East St. Louis

▪  Fairmont City

▪  National City

▪  Sauget

▪  Washington Park

Wholesale customers and the communities they serve were not impacted by the boil order.

Cahokia and East St. Louis schools announced they were canceling school Thursday because of the boil order.

Anyone in the boil order area should bring their water to a rolling boil for five minutes before drinking or cooking with the water, according to an Illinois American Water news release.

Any time water pressure drops below 20 pounds per square inch, a boil order must be issued as a precaution. Pressure had been restored Wednesday, but the order was still expected to be in effect for 36 to 48 hours.

This story was originally published January 17, 2018 at 6:20 PM with the headline "Boil order issued for 12 metro-east communities; 2 schools cancel."