This story has been updated with the most recent information from City of Bloomington Utilities.
1:12 p.m. Sept. 21:
Late Sunday evening, the City of Bloomington Utilities lifted its precautionary boil water advisory for Monroe County. It said the water treatment plant experienced problems after a power outage Friday.
Heavy storms knocked out electricity at the plant, and according to the city caused failures with water and alum pumps.
That raised the turbidity, or cloudiness, of the water. CBU said it detected turbidity levels just above the regulatory limit Saturday evening.
While problems at the plant were fixed quickly, the cloudy water takes time to move through the system and reach customers.
Water quality coordinator Justin Meschter said the concern isn't so much with the turbidity itself, it's whether that creates conditions that can harbor bacteria such as E. coli.
"We did get it under control pretty quickly, but there is that possibility, although very small in this case, that could be an issue in our distribution system," Meschter said.
CBU said it collected water samples throughout the system before lifting its advisory, although water pressure might remain lower in some parts of the county as it recovers.
Bloomington has several capital projects planned for its water system, including upgrades to the treatment plant and replacement of old water mains. These were paid for by a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and higher water rates that took effect last month.
1:24 a.m. Sept. 20:
City officials have issued a precautionary boil water advisory for Monroe County after finding turbidity levels above the maximum permitted for drinking water.
Read more: Bloomington says water safe despite discoloration
In a statement late Saturday, City of Bloomington Utilities advised Monroe County residents to boil all water used for drinking, cooking and oral hygiene for at least two minutes prior to consumption through 3 p.m. Monday.
It is not necessary to boil water for other household usage such as bathing or laundry, according to guidance on the city's website.
Elevated turbidity, a measure of particulates in water, followed lower production at the county water treatment plant due to storm-related outages, the statement said. It said the Indiana Department of Environmental Management requires utilities to issue advisories when water pressure drops below certain thresholds.
"This is not an emergency, but customers should know what to do, and what CBU is doing to address the situation," utilities spokesperson Daniel Frank wrote in the statement. He did not respond to messages over the weekend.
Soon after, shoppers bought out whole inventories of bottled water as the advisory continued over the weekend. Shelves in the beverage aisles at Bloomington Kroger stores had not been restocked Sunday evening.
"There are several emergency management and operational meetings underway at the moment," city spokesperson Desiree DeMolina wrote in an email.
Earlier Sunday, near College Mall, long lines formed in the drive-thru lanes of fast-food restaurant; some stopped selling fountain drinks, citing the advisory.
Other establishments remained open, welcoming customers choosing to eat out rather than prepare food with the affected water.
"We’re aware of the precautionary boil water advisory currently in effect for Monroe County, and Lennie’s will be OPEN our normal business hours today," the Kirkwood Avenue brewpub Lennie's posted on its Facebook page. "Our team is taking extra precautions to keep everyone safe."
(This story has been updated.)
