DPW Announces Immediate Lift of Precautionary Boil Water Advisory in Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, Sparks and Broadmead

Friday Feb 17th, 2023

Green banner with DPW logo and text "Department of Public Works Press Release"

Testing Confirms Water in All Impacted areas Safe to Consume

BALTIMORE, MD (Friday, February 17, 2023) -The Baltimore City Department of Public Works (DPW) today announced that the Precautionary Boil Water Advisory (BWA) has been lifted, effective immediately, for the Cockeysville, Hunt Valley, Sparks and Broadmead areas of Northern Baltimore County. In compliance with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)regulations, water sampling was conducted at sites in these impacted areas and all results confirmed water is safe to consume.  

Under MDE regulations, a Precautionary BWA is issued when there is a loss of water pressure to one or more residences. No E. coli or total coliform bacteria had been detected in the impacted areas. The Precautionary BWA was issued Tuesday night following a 20-inch water main break along 13816 York Road.


DPW has completed the repair of the 20-inch water main and has flushed and restored water to the system. The worksite has been restored and the impacted portion of York Road was re-opened Thursday afternoon.


Residents should take the following steps after the lifting of a boil water advisory:

  • Run all cold water taps for fifteen (15) minutes.
  • If you have a single-lever faucet, set it to run cold water.
  • Begin with the lowest faucet in your home or business and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from your lowest floor to your highest.
  • After fifteen (15) minutes, turn off your faucets in reverse order, from highest to lowest.
  • You should also flush your refrigerator's water lines.
  • All ice made since the boil water advisory was put in place should be discarded, as well as the next three batches.
  • Ice maker containers should be wiped clean with a solution of two tablespoons bleach to one gallon of water.
  • Apartment buildings and multi-story buildings should notify all residents, occupants and users of this procedure and flush starting the closest tap to the water connection moving outward.

For more information on Boil Water Advisory precautions, please visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Boil Water Advisory webpage.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). 

Residents are encouraged to check the DPW website and social media platforms Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for updates.

WATER DISTRIBUTION SITE CLOSED 
We appreciate our partners at USA Lacrosse and the Broadmead Retirement Facility for their assistance in serving throughout the week. Effective immediately, water distribution is no longer in operation.

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