Flickr Creative Commons/John K

Flickr Creative Commons/John K

Haines’ recent water problems seem to be resolved. The boil notice for certain areas is no longer in effect, water use restrictions are no longer in place, and the Lily Lake transmission problem that started it all is fixed.

The boil notice was implemented Monday evening because some areas of town experienced a drop in water pressure that puts it at risk for contamination. Public Facilities Director Brad Ryan says six samples collected from the water lines in question all came back negative for harmful bacteria.

“Which means that the water is and was safe to drink,” Ryan said.

The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation closed the boil water notice at about 4 p.m. Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the water use restriction that had been in place since Monday was also taken down.

Ryan says the municipal water system is filling back up after reaching dangerously low levels earlier this week. The borough’s main water supply, Lily Lake, was blocked by an air lock in the transmission line.

“Lily Lake seems to be improving every day,” Ryan said. “We’re pumping out a lot of water there still and we’re gaining pressure on the transmission line.”

The borough used the Crystal Cathedrals well, also called Well Field, to supplement while Lily Lake was down. Ryan says they’ve shut the well water off now.

“Some people have been calling because the Well Field water has a taste to it. That should go away as the Lily Lake system infiltrates the system.”

Ryan says after a few days of chaos, everything seems to running smoothly. He says he appreciates how many people, including those who received boil notices, stayed positive during an inconvenient situation.