Boil alert instructions for restaurants

Boil Alert Instructions for

Licensed Food Establishments in Mahoning County

Due to the Boil Alert issued by Aqua Ohio, all licensed food establishments in Mahoning County that receive their water supply from Aqua Ohio, must provide a potable source of water for all facets of water usage. A potable source of water is defined as water of sufficiently high quality that can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm.

To ensure the safety of residents, food service establishments need to either use bottled water or must boil their water, bringing it to a boil for at least one minute. Potable water must be used for hand washing, drinking, cooking, making ice, and washing dishes until further notice. For food prep areas, hand sanitizers are not recommended as a safe alternative to washing hands with soap and warm water.

According to the Drinking Water Warning notice provided by Aqua Ohio, this includes customers in the villages of Poland, Lowellville and New Middletown; the townships of Coitsville, Poland, Boardman, Beaver, Canfield, and Springfield; and the city of Struthers.

If a licensed food establishment cannot supply a potable source of water, then the District Board of Health is recommending that they temporarily cease operations until the Boil Alert is removed.

Guidelines for restaurants on what to do when an interruption of potable water occurs can be found on our website at www.mahoninghealth.org