Order to boil water lifted in Merced’s Franklin area

An order to boil tap water before using it to cook or drink in the Beachwood/Franklin area of Merced has been lifted, the Meadowbrook Water Co. confirmed.

More than 1,000 customers on the eastern outskirts of Merced were instructed to boil their water Monday and Tuesday after a “low-pressure” event cut off water for a short time. Company officials said the incident was likely sparked by an electrical issue linked to a brief power fluctuation or a short outage.

Residents in the area were instructed to boil water as a safety precaution, but that order was lifted Wednesday, according to Connie Farris, the company’s operations manager. The routine order is a state-mandated preventive measure triggered whenever a water system loses pressure, Farris said.

Company officials said no bacterial contamination was detected following numerous rounds of testing.

Students at Stefani and Franklin elementary schools were affected by the incident. Parents were notified, school officials said, and students were provided bottled water while the water system was tested.

This story was originally published October 20, 2016 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Order to boil water lifted in Merced’s Franklin area."