CHUBBUCK — City residents must boil their tap water before drinking or cooking after a water main break Thursday caused pressure to drop across Chubbuck’s distribution system, raising contamination risks just before the annual Chubbuck Days celebration.

The break near Hawthorne Road and Bonanza Avenue has left seven homes without water entirely and triggered a citywide boil advisory that could last through Sunday.

City crews are working around the clock to repair the damaged main line and flush contaminated water from the system, with Mayor Kevin England expressing hope for a quick resolution that won’t impact this weekend’s festivities.

England said he is unsure what caused the breakage but hopes to have a better idea once repair crews have a chance to assess the damages.

“Obviously, we will work on that around the clock until we get it fixed,” England said. “Hopefully it’s something they can get fixed quickly. But to give a timeline on it right now would be really impossible. I’m hoping that before the morning, we can have things where people have what they need.”

About seven homes in the area of Hawthorne Road to Chubbuck Road and Bonanza Avenue are without water and portions of those streets in the immediate area have been closed so that crews can repair the damaged water main, he said. Chubbuck residents are under a water boil advisory because pressure dropped below 10 percent, city officials said in a Thursday evening news release.

England also reassured the public that city crews, neighbors and restoration companies are currently attempting to mitigate damages and are utilizing pumps to desaturate affected areas. The water main break should not affect the upcoming Chubbuck Days celebration, England said.

“We hate to see things like this happen, but accidents happen, and once they do, we all need to work together to make sure we take care of things the best we can,” England said. “The powers that be will be involved to both determine what caused it and what we can do about it. We recognize that with anything like this, there’s a reason they call them accidents, that’s what they are, but they have a tendency to displace people and they’re difficult to deal with.”

He added, “We express sympathy for those who are negatively affected by it and are making a commitment to do everything we can to get it back to normal.”

Residents are advised to boil their water for one minute before use for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.

Handwashing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, followed by hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, is recommended.

Untreated water may contain disease-causing organisms that can cause nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and headaches. The city is flushing the lines to reduce the risk of contamination and anticipates resolving the problem by the end of day on Sunday. Residents are urged to share this information with others who may not have received the notice directly.

Idaho State Journal reporter Shelbie Harris contributed to this report.