Boil-water order lifted in Las Olas Isles

Fort Lauderdale After weeks of drama, it’s safe to drink the water again in all of Fort Lauderdale.

The city has lifted the precautionary boil-water notice for the Las Olas Isles area that was still under restrictions put in place July 25.

Other parts of the Las Olas Isles had been under the order, which was partially lifted Wednesday.

The streets are: South Gordon Road, Hendricks Isle, Mola Avenue, Isle of Capri, Bontona Avenue, and Coconut Isle.

Bacteriological surveys show that the water is safe to drink and use for brushing teeth and washing dishes, the city said Monday. Two consecutive days of clear tests were required to lift the order, the city says.

“When repair work is done that requires water pressure to be lowered, it can take time for residual bacteria and sediments to be completely flushed out of the system,” said city spokesman Chaz Adams.

Another 16-inch water main at Las Olas Boulevard and Bontona Avenue needed emergency repair.

This is separate and apart from the Fort Lauderdale water crisis that crippled the entire city and many of its neighbors on July 18. The break last month shut down Fort Lauderdale’s hotels, malls, courthouses, and restaurants. The crisis impacted an estimated 220,000 people, prompted national headlines and trained a spotlight on the city’s aging water system.

Misinformation was blamed for that crisis. Fort Lauderdale never warned a contractor that a critical water line lay buried where workers planned to dig last week, a report shows, but city officials say that’s because the contractor supplied the wrong address. Five businesses that lost thousands of dollars during that water shutdown are suing Florida Power & Light Co. and the contractor that drilled into the water main.