Chatham water still unsafe to drink; test results known Saturday at earliest

The water in Chatham still has not be deemed suitable for drinking, but town officials said the breaks in the waterlines have been repaired and tests are being conducted to test for contamination.

“Water samples are being taken today and sent to the Danville Water Department for analysis,” Town Treasurer David Cothran said Friday. “So we should know Saturday afternoon how it tests.”

If the water doesn’t test well, then the water will be retested and those results should be known Monday afternoon, he said.

Chatham residents have not had access to potable water since Wednesday morning after a main waterline ruptured and forced officials to shut down the supply to the 2,000 customers.

Two more waterline breaks were discovered Wednesday night, but the water was turned back on early Thursday with restrictions in place.

Until the tests report the water is pure, residents are still advised to only drink and cook with the water after they have boiled it in accordance with Virginia Department of Health guidelines, Cothran said.

The water should not be used to wash hands or dishes or to bathe, although flushing toilets is OK.

Cothran said that the best way for residents to keep abreast of the situation is to consult the town’s Web site at http://www.chatham-va.gov. The town is updating the Web site as often as there is new information and will continue to update it throughout the weekend as the tests come back.

“We are hoping everything will work out,” he said.