Officials in Coconino County issued a boil-water advisory to residents of Doney Park Wednesday.
It comes after Arizona Public Service turned off power to nearly 6,000 customers because of high wildfire danger this week.
On Wednesday night, Doney Park Water said residents should use bottled water until they’re told otherwise.
General Manager Marc Twidwell tells KNAU it has impacted nearly 9,500 people.
Twidwell says during APS’s Public Safety Power Shutoff, pressure levels dropped below 20 psi for about four hours in four of their sixteen water zones.
That’s too low to stop non-potable water from backing into the system.
Twidwell says Doney Park Water spent Thursday using chlorine to flush the system and conduct a 24-hour test for bacteria. Based on the results, he says the boil water advisory could be lifted on Friday.
The water system doesn’t currently have backup power generation to maintain high pressure if power goes out.
Instead, Doney Park relies on water stored at high elevation to provide pressure to the system.
APS turned off power for nearly 10 hours to rural areas around Flagstaff on Wednesday, saying high winds threatened power lines and created extreme fire conditions.
