Boil Water Advisory Activation and Rescission SOP

Standard procedure for issuing, communicating, monitoring, and rescinding a boil water advisory, including sampling coordination, public notification, and documentation of timeline compliance.

Steps

• The incident commander verifies the triggering event and defines the affected service area
  Confirm the incident type, affected area, and suspected cause using field reports, pressure data, and operator observations. Document the exact date, time, location, and evidence used to support the trigger decision.
• The incident commander notifies the incident commander and water quality lead
  Contact the incident commander and water quality lead by radio or phone within 10 minutes of confirmation. Record the notification time, recipient names, and any immediate instructions in the incident log.
• The water quality lead determines whether advisory criteria are met
  Review the triggering event against local boil water advisory criteria and document the decision basis. If laboratory or field evidence is incomplete, escalate to the incident commander for immediate review.
• The communications lead drafts the advisory message
  Prepare the public notice with the affected area, effective time, required boil instruction, contact information, and any customer-specific instructions. Verify that the message matches the approved incident scope before release.
• The incident commander issues the public notification
  Release the advisory through all required public channels within the required timeline. Record the exact release time, channels used, and approval reference in the incident log.
• The operations lead coordinates sampling and chain of custody
  Collect required samples, label each container with location and time, and transfer them using completed chain-of-custody forms. Confirm that all samples are delivered to the certified lab without gaps in custody.
• The incident commander documents the advisory start time and affected service area
  Enter the advisory start time, affected service area, reason for activation, and notification timestamps into the incident log. Confirm that the record matches the issued public notice and map or pressure zone reference.
• The water quality lead monitors corrective actions and lab results
  Track corrective actions, sampling status, and laboratory results at least once per shift until rescission criteria are met. Document any deviations from the response timeline and escalate unresolved issues to the incident commander.
• The water quality lead evaluates rescission eligibility
  Compare the latest lab results and corrective-action evidence against local authority rescission criteria. If the evidence is incomplete, keep the advisory open and continue monitoring; if criteria are met, prepare the rescission package for approval.
• The incident commander issues the rescission notice
  Release the rescission notice only after all required laboratory confirmation and authority approvals are complete. Record the release time, channels used, and approval reference in the incident log.
• The incident commander closes the incident record and archives documented information
  Archive all notifications, sampling records, approvals, and timeline evidence in the incident record. Verify that the final file is complete and ready for compliance review or after-action analysis.