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Residents change habits because of water advisory

A West Palm Beach resident uses bottled water on June 1, 2021.jpg
Posted at 4:21 PM, Jun 01, 2021
and last updated 2021-06-01 18:35:07-04

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — More than 100,000 people in West Palm Beach are having to drink bottled water for the fourth day in a row, and it's causing families to make adjustments to their eating habits and daily life.

Tuesday marked day number four of water distribution at Gained Park, and the cars keep coming.

"If this continues to go, we’ll probably look at expanding to some other areas of the city," said Brent Bloomfield, the assistant chief of the West Palm Beach Fire Department.

In downtown West Palm Beach, senior citizen Sharon Lovett had to keep reminding herself not to use the tap water to cook.

"I almost did it twice by accident," Lovett said.

Changing her habits, he’s been eating sandwiches and other foods she could prepare easily with bottled water.

"It is an inconvenience really. There should be something that should be done especially for the senior citizens," Lovett said.

City and health leaders include the elderly in the group of vulnerable people who should not drink or cook with the city water right now.

"I was very concerned because I'm very sensitive. That compelled me to make movement you know quickly and try to get the water," Lovett said.

Lovett picked up a case of water at Gaines Park, but even doing that was a challenge because she doesn’t drive.

The water advisory is causing thousand of families to adjust their daily routines.

"I can’t afford to go downtown and buy dinners," Lovett said.

Lovett hopes if this advisory stretches into the weekend, the city will consider distributing water downtown too.

"I was thinking, where could they have taken the water downtown? They could have taken it to the library, the city library," Lovett said.

Water distribution will resume at Gaines Park on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.