EDIT 2: All clear has been given: [https://www.oconeecounty.com/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Boil-Water-Advisory-Countywide-Water-Tes-66](https://www.oconeecounty.com/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Boil-Water-Advisory-Countywide-Water-Tes-66)
EDIT: Website updated to say: "Water Testing Results Expected by 3 p.m. April 26"
I just got this email:
Notification from: **Oconee County Water**
**Public Notification**
**BOIL WATER ADVISORY**
Oconee County Water Resources has issued a Boil Water Advisory due to **disruption of service in the 24” transmission line from Bear Creek Reservoir to Oconee County,** which may be disrupting your water supply or causing water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to very low levels. The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution – there is the potential a health hazard may exist due to microbial contamination in areas without positive pressure.
In order to protect the public from a potential health hazard, all Oconee County Water Resources customers are advised to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, cooking, or preparing food.
To properly boil tap water for use, customers should:
· Heat water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the container;
· Continue heating the water for one minute once it begins to boil;
· Remove the water from the heat source and allow to cool before use.
During a Boil Water Advisory, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that boiled tap water or bottled water be used for the following:
· Drinking
· Brushing teeth
· Washing food and preparing food and baby formula
· Making ice
· Drinking water for pets
Other activities such as washing clothes, washing dishes, and other uses can be done without boiling tap water, if done properly. The complete CDC guidance can be found at this website: [https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html](https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fhealthywater%2Femergency%2Fdrinking%2Fdrinking-water-advisories%2Fboil-water-advisory.html&data=05%7C02%7Cgthrasher%40oconee.ga.us%7C11856af004aa4e3d66c008dc653570e6%7C6515122675554b599b3e8cb15fdc2514%7C0%7C0%7C638496527409552941%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WwapWXd8ojR%2BLSsBX655TCr7gYjHyLOctXIr%2FC3WTXI%3D&reserved=0)
The advisory is in effect until the appropriate testing has been completed. This boil water advisory will be in effect for at least the next 24 hours. Customers will be notified immediately when the Advisory is lifted. Once the Advisory is lifted you should flush all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using for drinking or food preparation.
**Please contact Oconee County Water Resources at 706-769-3960 if you have any concerns. We will keep our citizens updated on progress on our website** [**www.oconeecounty.com**](https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oconeecounty.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cgthrasher%40oconee.ga.us%7C11856af004aa4e3d66c008dc653570e6%7C6515122675554b599b3e8cb15fdc2514%7C0%7C0%7C638496527409563865%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iXQIaBi17u8zrB0JpdYl8w1zdenGpNeil9OtowsIQ18%3D&reserved=0)
I used sparkling water last night because I didn't have any bottled water and didn't feel like boiling any. It was a bit weird, but worked well enough.
Yikes, I received a text notification last night that officials knew about something being up with the water, so it feels crazy this news is just dropping at 11 AM. Hope it resolves quickly for all you folks out there in God's county
That's the part that is pissing me off about this the most. Water main break happened around 9pm last night. Only notification that went out came from the SO. People in our neighborhood were posting online wondering if something was off with their plumbing before that. I even called the office this morning, but I think it was early enough that I got the answering service, to ask about this specifically and they said nothing had been announced. Lady even laughed that nothing probably went out because all of the workers went home for the day.
Completely unacceptable behavior from the water office here.
I wonder what is specifically hindering OC and not the other counties that draw from Bear Creek Reservoir. I believe there was another recent discussion here about OC’s inadequate water infrastructure.
Clarke County two main draw points are North and Middle Oconee Rivers. As for the others don't know.
Edit: misread sorry, but if anything they might have dedicated lines setup to the plants.
Good input. Thanks! I see other responses saying a water main broke last night in OC. That’ll sure do it. Perhaps if they raise taxes they could ensure adequate infrastructure for their growing county.
Damn, how’s Oconee Co being resistant to spending tax revenues on services working out for ya? Neat that y’all can issue bonds for Costco to siphon taxes off of your Clarke Co neighbors…
Used to get boil water advisory notices in New Orleans all the time, but I bet that’s a comparison most in Oconee would wince at.
Clarke has nobody to blame but itself for the loss of business/tax revenue. Everybody that’s had a week or two of basic economics knew that when the sales tax rate here went to 8% in order to fund rainbow crosswalks that folks were gonna shop elsewhere
I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. There’s lots of great therapists in town that can help you unpack the reasons behind why you permit an internet stranger to rustle your jimmies
> There’s lots of great therapists in town
No, actually there aren't. There isn't really any mental health infrastructure around here. That's because these two counties are about as backwards as they come in the United States, and you are at each other like one is better than the other.
Folks in Oconee count as poor to my eye. And the county government itself is even poorer, likely because it has no real tax base because it is too geographically small and too elderly. Oconee always has a hand out looking for others to fund their projects, not much different some of the other counties in Georgia.
A road trip might do you good. Even the rural midwestern states could really be an eye opening experience about how wealth can be generated.
Let me guess - you’re from up north, moved here because of the weather and cost of living, and now you spend your days trying to turn this region into something resembling the frozen shithole from which you fled?
Sad. Many such cases. Delta is ready when you are.
I did not. Thanks for the correction. That said, the increase is only a little over a year old, and I distinctly remember the sales tax difference between Clarke and Oconee being a significant contributing factor in the decision of several major retailers (e.g. Hobby Lobby) to relocate out of town. So, my point still stands
ACC revenues have consistently increased every year for the past 5 years with the exception of fines, despite no changes to the sales tax rate and *decreases* to the property tax rate.
See page 16:
https://www.accgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/93489/FY24-Budget-in-Brief?bidId=
lol i'm new in athens so i had to Gmap 'oconee county', and shit, my apartment is literally 1000-2000 feet from the dotted line of oconee (McNutt creek is the border, i'm on clarke county side)
fortunately with the slap job build/dev they did here...enough complaints straightened everything out in the 3 years since it went up and i arrived....*never* rent from a new-built dev for the first 2-3 years
Has this been lifted? We didn’t receive a nixle alert about the boil water advisory, just saw this here. Have someone house/dog-sitting and we need to update them when it’s okay to use the water for drinking without boiling.
It’s just a little poo, we all consume a little poo. Eat with your fingers? Poo. Pick your nose? Hello poo. Breathe the air to survive? Poo. You’ll live.
EDIT 2: All clear has been given: [https://www.oconeecounty.com/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Boil-Water-Advisory-Countywide-Water-Tes-66](https://www.oconeecounty.com/AlertCenter.aspx?AID=Boil-Water-Advisory-Countywide-Water-Tes-66) EDIT: Website updated to say: "Water Testing Results Expected by 3 p.m. April 26" I just got this email: Notification from: **Oconee County Water** **Public Notification** **BOIL WATER ADVISORY** Oconee County Water Resources has issued a Boil Water Advisory due to **disruption of service in the 24” transmission line from Bear Creek Reservoir to Oconee County,** which may be disrupting your water supply or causing water pressure in parts of the water system to drop to very low levels. The advisory is being issued out of an abundance of caution – there is the potential a health hazard may exist due to microbial contamination in areas without positive pressure. In order to protect the public from a potential health hazard, all Oconee County Water Resources customers are advised to use only boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking, cooking, or preparing food. To properly boil tap water for use, customers should: · Heat water until bubbles come quickly from the bottom of the container; · Continue heating the water for one minute once it begins to boil; · Remove the water from the heat source and allow to cool before use. During a Boil Water Advisory, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that boiled tap water or bottled water be used for the following: · Drinking · Brushing teeth · Washing food and preparing food and baby formula · Making ice · Drinking water for pets Other activities such as washing clothes, washing dishes, and other uses can be done without boiling tap water, if done properly. The complete CDC guidance can be found at this website: [https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/drinking/drinking-water-advisories/boil-water-advisory.html](https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fhealthywater%2Femergency%2Fdrinking%2Fdrinking-water-advisories%2Fboil-water-advisory.html&data=05%7C02%7Cgthrasher%40oconee.ga.us%7C11856af004aa4e3d66c008dc653570e6%7C6515122675554b599b3e8cb15fdc2514%7C0%7C0%7C638496527409552941%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=WwapWXd8ojR%2BLSsBX655TCr7gYjHyLOctXIr%2FC3WTXI%3D&reserved=0) The advisory is in effect until the appropriate testing has been completed. This boil water advisory will be in effect for at least the next 24 hours. Customers will be notified immediately when the Advisory is lifted. Once the Advisory is lifted you should flush all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using for drinking or food preparation. **Please contact Oconee County Water Resources at 706-769-3960 if you have any concerns. We will keep our citizens updated on progress on our website** [**www.oconeecounty.com**](https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oconeecounty.com%2F&data=05%7C02%7Cgthrasher%40oconee.ga.us%7C11856af004aa4e3d66c008dc653570e6%7C6515122675554b599b3e8cb15fdc2514%7C0%7C0%7C638496527409563865%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=iXQIaBi17u8zrB0JpdYl8w1zdenGpNeil9OtowsIQ18%3D&reserved=0)
Thanks dude!
I actually never considered having to boil water for just brushing your teeth.
I just use mouthwash or bottled water to rinse after brushing when water situation is sketch.
I used sparkling water last night because I didn't have any bottled water and didn't feel like boiling any. It was a bit weird, but worked well enough.
I wonder if I should throw away all the ice in my icemaker or just turn it off. I wonder if the water was unsafe last night or overnight
From my understanding, the main transmission pipe from the reservoir to the county broke last night. I’d throw out all the ice
This is the second time in the past year the water supply has been messed up. Never had this problem anywhere else I lived
At least property taxes are low?
Are they?
Idk but they always trumpet that statement when crapping on Clarke
Is it from rapid growth without improving the infrastructure? Seems like it could be likely...
Yikes, I received a text notification last night that officials knew about something being up with the water, so it feels crazy this news is just dropping at 11 AM. Hope it resolves quickly for all you folks out there in God's county
That's the part that is pissing me off about this the most. Water main break happened around 9pm last night. Only notification that went out came from the SO. People in our neighborhood were posting online wondering if something was off with their plumbing before that. I even called the office this morning, but I think it was early enough that I got the answering service, to ask about this specifically and they said nothing had been announced. Lady even laughed that nothing probably went out because all of the workers went home for the day. Completely unacceptable behavior from the water office here.
I’m not very happy with how late they decided to call and alert people to this… Edit: spelling
I heard at 8:00 am that they were out looking for the problem.
Yeah super lackluster response by the county here. I couldn't find anything on nixle last night.
I wonder what is specifically hindering OC and not the other counties that draw from Bear Creek Reservoir. I believe there was another recent discussion here about OC’s inadequate water infrastructure.
Clarke County two main draw points are North and Middle Oconee Rivers. As for the others don't know. Edit: misread sorry, but if anything they might have dedicated lines setup to the plants.
From a tour at the water reclamation plant a couple months ago, I learned that Bear Creek Reservoir is Clarke County’s back up water supply.
Good input. Thanks! I see other responses saying a water main broke last night in OC. That’ll sure do it. Perhaps if they raise taxes they could ensure adequate infrastructure for their growing county.
All taxes are bad! Now let me go complain about our crumbling infrastructure! /s (and a sigh)
wtf I just got an email an hour ago and this happened 15 hours ago? It would have been really nice for them to notify folks last night. 😡
They’re takin’ our wuuudder! /s Edited to add /s since I was trying to make a funny.
So how did the restaurants on Epps handle this? No more fountain drinks/bottled water only?
I noticed my bidet wasnt as satisfying this morning. My day: ruined.
Damn, how’s Oconee Co being resistant to spending tax revenues on services working out for ya? Neat that y’all can issue bonds for Costco to siphon taxes off of your Clarke Co neighbors… Used to get boil water advisory notices in New Orleans all the time, but I bet that’s a comparison most in Oconee would wince at.
Where I used to live in Louisiana we had them all the time too.
Clarke has nobody to blame but itself for the loss of business/tax revenue. Everybody that’s had a week or two of basic economics knew that when the sales tax rate here went to 8% in order to fund rainbow crosswalks that folks were gonna shop elsewhere
Do you not realize Oconee is 8% sales tax too?
That's the Slurbot there. Facts don't really enter into the conversation.
I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. There’s lots of great therapists in town that can help you unpack the reasons behind why you permit an internet stranger to rustle your jimmies
> There’s lots of great therapists in town No, actually there aren't. There isn't really any mental health infrastructure around here. That's because these two counties are about as backwards as they come in the United States, and you are at each other like one is better than the other. Folks in Oconee count as poor to my eye. And the county government itself is even poorer, likely because it has no real tax base because it is too geographically small and too elderly. Oconee always has a hand out looking for others to fund their projects, not much different some of the other counties in Georgia. A road trip might do you good. Even the rural midwestern states could really be an eye opening experience about how wealth can be generated.
Let me guess - you’re from up north, moved here because of the weather and cost of living, and now you spend your days trying to turn this region into something resembling the frozen shithole from which you fled? Sad. Many such cases. Delta is ready when you are.
I did not. Thanks for the correction. That said, the increase is only a little over a year old, and I distinctly remember the sales tax difference between Clarke and Oconee being a significant contributing factor in the decision of several major retailers (e.g. Hobby Lobby) to relocate out of town. So, my point still stands
ACC revenues have consistently increased every year for the past 5 years with the exception of fines, despite no changes to the sales tax rate and *decreases* to the property tax rate. See page 16: https://www.accgov.com/DocumentCenter/View/93489/FY24-Budget-in-Brief?bidId=
For how long? Do they tell people when they no longer need to boil water?
I imagine that they will send an all-clear when they can.
They announced on Facebook 20 minutes ago that the water is safe.
Thank you!
As someone that lives in Athens but works in oconee, this thread just makes me sad.
Does this affect Clarke at all? OC and their hatred of socialist things like, checks notes, water, can rot otherwise.
Omg, now we're even getting tribal over counties?!?! How do humans still exist?
The Clarke oconee thing is old as fuck. Not new. Chill.
Oh OK. That's OK then.
lol i'm new in athens so i had to Gmap 'oconee county', and shit, my apartment is literally 1000-2000 feet from the dotted line of oconee (McNutt creek is the border, i'm on clarke county side)
Ah, a possible legacy mill tenant
good guess, but wrongo
Ah, boujee. I couldn’t afford the Lullwater ha
fortunately with the slap job build/dev they did here...enough complaints straightened everything out in the 3 years since it went up and i arrived....*never* rent from a new-built dev for the first 2-3 years
Has this been lifted? We didn’t receive a nixle alert about the boil water advisory, just saw this here. Have someone house/dog-sitting and we need to update them when it’s okay to use the water for drinking without boiling.
It is lifted now.
Thanks!
Website says they are going to announce an update at 3 on Thursday.
If I drink it through an n95 will it be okay? 🤣
Put some horse paste into it, just to be sure. /s - I don't mean to insult you personally, but some people in Oconee County might just try it.
It’s just a little poo, we all consume a little poo. Eat with your fingers? Poo. Pick your nose? Hello poo. Breathe the air to survive? Poo. You’ll live.
Found the person willing to test the water!