Board raises concerns about confusing non-boil water notice and urges clearer town communications

Town of Falmouth Board of Health members on April 13 criticized a recently issued non-boil water notice that they said confused residents by referring to raw-water sampling and advising, among other things, that people discard ice. Meeting participants said the notice text was provided to the town by "D" (as discussed in the meeting) and that local staff were limited in how much they could alter legally required language.

Board members said the notice was sent via the town's RAVE emergency/alert system (an opt-in notification service accessible through the municipal website) and that a concurrent drought notice caused additional confusion when an older advisory was transmitted at the same time. Several members said the notice should be clearer about the distinction between raw-water and finished water, explain what triggered the advisory and specify the sampling timeframe.

"That's confusing to tell people that it's not a boil-water order but then throw out your ice," a member said, urging staff to ask the drinking-water superintendent which portions of the form are mandatory from the state and which can be clarified locally.

Why it matters: clear, plain-language notifications matter during water advisories so hospitals, food establishments and residents can take appropriate precautions. The board asked staff to coordinate with the town manager and drinking-water superintendent to determine whether clarifying language or translated versions (Spanish, Portuguese) could be included alongside the state-mandated text.

Next steps
- The board requested a meeting with the drinking-water superintendent to review the wording and to confirm which parts of the notice are required by the state and which can be supplemented by municipal explanation.
- Staff and the town manager will review RAVE distribution practices and consider how to present the advisory and any translations to reach the town's non-English-speaking residents.

Attribution
Comments reflect board discussion on April 13 and staff explanation regarding how the RAVE alert was used to communicate the notice.