The Mississippi Department of Health has issued a boil water alert for Artesia residents who receive drinking water from the water supply in Lowndes County.
MDH officials said 496 customers are affected.
Water system officials notified the MDH of a system-wide loss of pressure due to one or more line breaks.
When a distribution system loses pressure, contaminants can siphon back into the water. MDH policy considers any system that loses pressure to be contaminated until tests prove otherwise.
Residents are urged to boil drinking water for no less than one minute before use and continue this practice until notified that the water is safe to drink.
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