On May 1, 2010, a water pipe in Weston, Massachusetts broke and began flooding into the Charles River. This led to unsanitary water conditions in the greater Boston area which resulted in Governor Deval Patrick declaring a state of emergency and an order for residents to boil drinking water.[1] The leak was stopped on May 2.[1] On May 4, the order was lifted.[2] President Barack Obama signed an emergency disaster declaration offering federal help, authorizing the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts with Massachusetts.[3]
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On May 1, a 10-foot-diameter (3.0 m) pipe ruptured in Weston, 15 miles west of Boston.[1] At the height of the spill, approximately 8 million US gallons (30,000 m3) of water entered the Charles River per hour.[1]
With the water supply cut off, the emergency water supply reserve system from surrounding ponds was routed to the main water supply. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) issued an emergency water notice for the Boston area. Governor Deval Patrick issued a state of emergency and a boil-water order for Boston and a dozen surrounding communities, affecting nearly 2 million people.[4][5]
Local agency officials used a variety of means to inform locals about the situation[1] including Everbridge the city's reverse 911 citizen alert system, highway alert signs, driving through affected neighborhoods with bullhorns, and other emergency management systems.[1] As a result of the water boil order, many residents rushed to purchase bottled water at local stores. Many stores quickly sold out of water, and bottled water companies increased shipments at the request of the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, maintaining availability at other stores.[6][7]
Local stores quickly sold out their supplies of bottled water, and the Massachusetts National Guard was dispatched to deliver additional bottled water.[1] The state government also asked bottled-water suppliers to increase their deliveries to the area.[1] Many cafes such as Starbucks and Dunkin' Donuts that depended on municipal water for coffee production were closed or forced to operate with limited functionality.
By May 2, workers had stopped the spill and begun repairs on the pipe and MWRA officials reported steady water pressure on the night of May 2.[1] On May 4, 2010, at 3:00 AM, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority announced that Patrick had lifted the water boil order for all but one of affected communities, Saugus. In a press conference later that morning, Patrick stated that tests had since cleared water in Saugus as well.[2][8]
Experts and officials associated with the MWRA interviewed by reporters[9][10][11] have stated that it is not known whether the current emergency water supply routed from ponds surrounding the Weston reservoir contains bacteria or other contaminants, although they state that similar situations have resulted in bacterial contamination bad enough to cause distressing gastrointestinal symptoms in otherwise healthy adults.[9][10] Tests indicated that the bacteria levels were not atypical for a normal day at this time of year[12]
Possible more serious health effects for vulnerable classes such as infants, pregnant women, and those with a compromised immune system do not appear to have been reported in secondary sources during this event.