FREDONIA — A boil water order announced Thursday in Fredonia was due to a “temporary chlorination problem,” Mayor Michael Ferguson said.

“One of the pumps broke and it should be fixed today,” he said, a couple of hours after the Chautauqua County Health Department issued the order.

Ferguson noted that the village will need two clean tests per day for two days straight. That means the order can’t be lifted until at least Saturday.

Ferguson said there are no plans to get water from Dunkirk during the boil order. Dunkirk Department of Public Works Director Randy Woodbury pointed out that if substandard water made it through Fredonia’s works, Dunkirk’s water wouldn’t help much — the backup which that represents would have to be turned on before the bad water spread.

According to the county Health Department release announcing the order, “All Fredonia water customers must boil water used for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing teeth and making coffee until further notice. Water must be brought to a rolling boil for one minute then cooled prior to use.

“Boiled or bottled water must be used to wash dishes by hand; dishes should be allowed to completely air dry after washing. Home dishwashers that reach a temperature of 170⁰F and have a full dry cycle do not need boiled or bottled water. “The water may be used for bathing as long as it is not consumed. The water is safe for laundry.”

Downtown businesses and restaurants are all-too familiar with these types of issues in recent years. EBC West on Main Street in Fredonia, on its Facebook page, said: “We will be purchasing water, ice and soda and will be open. Please be patient with us, as this will inevitably slow us down a little and quantities may be limited.”

Thursday’s directive is the third boil water order in Fredonia since the start of 2023. There was also one in 2020 which lasted for three weeks. There have been seven of these types of orders since 2009.