Libby to experience water shutoff next week

Libby residents will briefly lose water on Sept. 13 owing to work on the system, officials said in press release.

Officials with City Hall and Noble Excavating expect the outage to last about six hours. It is scheduled to begin at 10 p.m., officials said. Residents are encouraged to fill storage containers with water to use during the overnight outage.

During the shutdown, Noble Excavating will install a transmission main from city’s water treatment plant to the Cedar Street pressure reducing station.

“We apologize for any inconvenience,” officials with Noble said in prepared statement. “When complete, the water supply will be more secure than ever before.”

Along with stocking up on water ahead of time, residents were urged to shut off electric and propane water heaters. Water coming through the taps immediately after the outage ends could look dirty. If so, residents are asked to flush their systems until it clears.

“You also may want to clean your aerators and screens on your sinks and washers,” Noble officials said in a press release.

City officials have issued a boil water advisory following the shutoff, a move they make anytime the system undergoes a drop in pressure. Residents are urged to boil water before consumption in case contaminants entered the supply.

Officials expect the advisory to remain in place for several days as they wait on bacteriological samples to return from the lab.