For immediate release: September 26, 2007 (07-158)

Contacts:
Jeff Smith, Communications Office 360-236-4072
Tom Vance, Skamania PUD water system manager 509-427-5126

OLYMPIA ¾ A boil-water advisory issued Friday for the city of Underwood has been lifted after it was confirmed the water is safe to drink.

Major firefighting efforts in the Columbia River Gorge last week had diminished local water supplies, causing the water system to lose pressure in some areas. The pressure loss could have allowed contaminants to enter the water, so the state Department of Health and Skamania Public Utility District (PUD) issued the boil-water advisory as a precaution. The Underwood system serves 876 residents.

Water supplies have returned to normal, and excess air has been flushed from the system. Water samples sent for bacterial analysis have come back with satisfactory results, indicating the water is safe to drink.

"We are very pleased with how responsibly the Skamania PUD handled this challenging situation," said Denise Clifford, director of the agency’s Office of Drinking Water. "We have a shared goal of protecting the public’s health and ensuring safe and  reliable drinking water  supplies for the Columbia River Gorge community ."