Utility board to consider new communication plan on boil orders

Columbus City Utilities officials will discuss how to improve the utility’s response if another boil-water advisory needs to be issued to customers.

Confusion and controversy ensued June 16 when the city-operated utility issued a boil advisory for city water customers and notified the media and public health and safety agencies, but did not send an alert through the community’s emergency management notification system, Everbridge.

At a Columbus City Council meeting June 20, utility director Keith Reeves said he would work with the Columbus Utility Service Board to evaluate how the utility handled the notification process and how it could be improved.

Board members plan to discuss an updated boil-water communications plan during a monthly utility board meeting Thursday at the utilities offices, 1111 McClure Road. The meeting, which will be open to the public, will follow a closed-door meeting of the board to discuss potential litigation, which starts at 11 a.m.

For more on this story, see Tuesday’s Republic.