Belforest lifts boil water notice

DAPHNE, Ala. (WALA) - UDPATE: Belforest Water System has lifted the boil water notice effective immediately for all of its customers. You may now resume normal water usage and consumption. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please call the BWS office at 251-626-5554.

3:49 p.m. Twenty six hundred customers of the Belforest Water System were still under a boil water notice Friday, Nov 30.  This after a sewer line was mistakenly connecter to a fresh water line by Baldwin County Sewer Service on Wednesday.

The halls at Daphne East Elementary and Daphne Middle School have been quiet for the last two days.  Both are supplied water by the Belforest Water System.  When the schools received notice of a possible contamination late Wednesday, the decision to close the schools was made.

“Roughly, 1,200 students have been affected by this disruption of the school day.  It’s never a good thing,” said Terry Willhite with the Baldwin County School System.  “It’s always an inconvenience, and no one ever wants to lose continuity especially right after a holiday break.”

David Lyles with Belforest Water said the contamination happened when Baldwin County Sewer Service, a private contractor, connected a sewer line to a water line at a home on their system.  Lyles said that the whole water system was not affected, but all customers were put on notice as a precaution.

Because the disruption of classes is not the result of a natural disaster, Willhite said students will have to make up the days that they’re missing.

“It’s a certainty that these days will indeed have to be made up, which is never a good thing. It’s an inconvenience for both teachers and students,” Willhite said.

It’s also been troublesome for some parents. Nehal Bodalia has stayed home with his two kids, but is making the best of it by putting up Christmas decorations with them.

“We’re lucky that we’re self employed, so it works, but at the end of the day they need to be in school…the kids,” said Bodalia.

With a little luck and some good test results from ADEM, school officials are hopeful school will be back to normal on Monday and residents will be in the all clear.  Water officials are waiting on the latest water sample results to come back.  If those samples are clean, the boil water notice for the affected area could be lifted as early as Friday evening. 

Officials with ADEM told FOX10 Friday that they are conducting an investigation to determine if enforcement actions are warranted against Baldwin County Sewer Service.