Janelle Irwin Taylor
Pinellas County has rescinded some of the precautionary boil water advisory for barrier islands south of John’s Pass after water quality testing confirmed water in the area now meets all federal and state drinking water standards.
While the advisory has been lifted for St. Pete Beach and Tierra Verde, Sunset Beach and Treasure Island are still without drinking water due to sand and debris covering service valves. There are also 450 properties without access to drinking water due to damage on private property.
The county is working with those property owners as they hire licensed plumbers to make necessary repairs on private property.
While most residents on St. Pete Beach and in Tierra Verde are now cleared to use water as normal, the county is still asking residents to continue reducing water usage to limit wastewater entering the sanitary sewer system and help prevent overflows as crews continue work to bring pump stations back online. Some precautions include taking short showers, only running full dishwashers and limiting use of washing machines.
Residents unsure of their water status or with other questions can call the Utilities customer service line at 727-464-4000.
Information on recovery and resources is also available at disaster.pinellas.gov.
