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Aqua Illinois Issues Water Advisory For South Suburbs

CHICAGO (CBS) -- UPDATE: Aqua Illinois announced it is safe to consume water in Arbors at Hickory Creek, Fairway Clubs, Pine Woods Court, Governors State University and areas west of I-57 (including all of Green Garden Township). Residents should run their tap water for two minutes before drinking it.

A do-not-consume water advisory is still in effect in for the rest of Monee Township and University Park. Utility company Aqua Illinois left voicemails for customers Friday evening, alerting them of lead in the water supply.

The company has confirmed not all homes in the area are impacted.

"I was very upset when I got that call," said University Park resident Sarah Boyd.

Boyd said she's lived in University Park for nearly 40 years and has never felt so uncomfortable in her own home.

"I just felt like I was running around in a circle. What do I do? I mean, Flint, Michigan came to my mind really," she said.

The advisory requests residents not to drink, cook, make ice cubes, prepare formula or use tap water to brush their teeth.

Using the water to bathe or wash your hands is okay, according to Aqua Illinois.

Boyd has been taking precautions such as using bottled water to make her coffee, but she also worries about her dog Stoner.

"I gave him some water. I didn't think about it until this morning. I shouldn't have have given him that water," she said.

In a statement, Aqua Illinois' president said, "While we do not believe our water mains or service lines contain lead, we are moving swiftly to identify the source."

University Park resident Ramonita Lake said she's concerned about her health if the issue isn't resolved soon.

"It's very, very scary," she said. "They have to do something about and I mean immediately. They just have to."

A representative for Aqua Illinois said they are offering customers free bottled water and water testing kits. They are also working in tandem with the state EPA to identify areas that are not being impacted by the advisory.

The company said residents will see Aqua service technicians in the field over the next 24 hours flushing the system by opening fire hydrants. Discolored water is normal during this time, and residents should run water through all fixtures for two minutes or until discoloration clears up.

In a statement, Aqua Illinois' president Craig Blanchette said:

"Aqua Illinois is committed to keeping our customers informed and safe. We have been working closely with the community since receiving lead testing results, which detected elevated lead levels in 15 properties in University Park. Through testing results,Aqua Illinois has confirmed that not all homes are impacted. We are working to test specific areas so we can eliminate sections of the service territory from the Do-Not-Consume advisory and narrow in on impacted areas. Our team on the ground continues to be working around the clock so we can keep members of the community informed. We thank the impacted communities for their patience and are committed to resolving this as soon as possible."

Aqua Illinois has launched a designated website (www.WaterFactsIL.com) to help communicate information and get feedback from customers in this service area.

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