JUNCTION, Utah (KUTV) — The Town of Junction was placed under a boil order after severe flooding along the Cottonwood Fire burn scar contaminated the water system.
Officials with the Piute County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that the water was no longer safe to drink due to Tuesday’s floods in City Creek and Junction.
They said all water will need to be boiled before using it for food preparation, brushing teeth, making ice or drinking.
“Please do not drink the water without boiling it first. The water remains safe to use for flushing toilets and showering,” officials said.
The county is providing bottled water to the public at Junction Fire House and is working to obtain additional cases of water.
The boil order comes after the town experienced severe flooding Tuesday night, prompting a Flash Flood Warning.
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Emergency crews sandbagged the area and diverted traffic off US 89, as the road had “large debris fields” between Junction and Marysdale.
This is the latest of several severe flooding events in Beaver and Piute Counties over the past week. The massive Cottonwood Fire’s burn scar, coupled with monsoonal moisture, created dangerous flood conditions in the area.
This week’s storms previously caused contamination of Sevier County’s water system, making the water unsafe to drink for the Big Rock Candy Mountain area. The runoff and floods also dirtied Beaver’s water system and caused the Grove area to lose access to water entirely.
At this time, it is unclear how long it will take to clear Junction’s water system.
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