The City of Fredericksburg issued and later lifted a boil water advisory for a limited area of the city following a water main break that caused a prolonged service shutdown.
Key Takeaways
- Date, time, place: Jan. 31–Feb. 1, 2026, Fredericksburg
- What happened: A boil water advisory was issued for a small area of Fredericksburg after a water main break and was lifted Feb. 1.
- Why it matters: Residents affected by the outage were advised to take precautions before consuming tap water.
- Who drove the news: City of Fredericksburg officials, following Virginia Department of Health protocols.
Full Coverage
The City of Fredericksburg issued a boil water advisory for a limited area of the city following a water main break that led to a prolonged shutdown of water service, according to information posted on the city’s website.
The advisory was issued under updated drinking water protocol requirements from the Virginia Department of Health that took effect July 1, 2025. City officials said the advisory was issued “out of an abundance of caution” while required water samples were collected and tested.
The city collected an initial water sample and scheduled a second sample for the morning of Jan. 31, in accordance with state guidelines. Officials indicated at the time that they expected the advisory to be short in duration.
On Feb. 1, the city updated its website to announce the advisory had been lifted. Residents and businesses in the affected area were advised to flush water lines, clean faucet aerators, and take additional steps to ensure fresh water was fully restored throughout their plumbing systems.
Potomac Local News emailed city officials at 8:37 p.m. on Jan. 31 seeking confirmation of whether a boil water advisory had been issued. The city responded at 3:49 p.m. on Feb. 1, about 19 hours later.
“There was a Boil Water Advisory issued for a limited area of the city, but it has since been lifted,” said Caitlyn McGhee, public information officer for the City of Fredericksburg, in an emailed response. “The advisory was not issued citywide in order to avoid unnecessary concern for residents who were not impacted and did not need to boil their water.”
McGhee said the advisory applied only to addresses highlighted on the city’s website and was issued in accordance with Virginia Department of Health protocols following the water main break.
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This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Potomac Local News editors for accuracy and clarity.
