Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU) on Thursday afternoon issued a precautionary boil order for those people drinking or cooking with Brainerd water. The order is in effect for 24 hours or until the all clear is given.
A drop in water pressure, that resulted from a broken water line near Kiwanis Park and was unrelated to Thursday morning's thunderstorm, prevented the water tower at the site of the former Brainerd State Hospital from filling up overnight. BPU Finance Director Todd Wicklund said the BPU first urged residents to conserve water Friday morning. The Brainerd Dispatch did not receive word of that initial directive.
Wicklund said reports were "not true" that the Brainerd water was contaminated.
"We can't say yeah or nay, if it's good or bad," Wicklund said.
BPU Superintendent Scott Magnuson said he expects water tests to be completed by about 1 or 2 p.m. Friday.
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The decision to call for a precautionary water boil came after consultation with the Minnesota Department of Health.
Since the city's main water tower near downtown Brainerd is being worked on and is out of commission the city's water supply is stored in the water tower located at the former site of the Brainerd State Hospital. The former state hospital site water tower holds 600,000 gallons, Wicklund said, compared to the 1 million-gallon capacity of the downtown water tower.
