Residents and businesses in the villages of Jordan and Elbridge and parts of the town of Elbridge have been ordered to boil their water.

The Onondaga County Health Department overnight announced that it was notified the municipal water in these areas was inadequately disinfected.

The problem was caused by a chlorination system equipment malfunction in the city of Syracuse's system that feeds these communities, the county said. It has already been fixed.

The county said it will announce when adequate chlorine levels have been restored, tests show that no harmful bacteria are present and when residents and business no longer need to boil water.

It is anticipated that the problem will be resolved within 3 days, county officials said.

Chlorine is a disinfectant that is used to destroy harmful microbes that could be in the drinking water.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water certified for sale by the state Department of Health.

Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills most bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Harmful microbes in drinking water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. Inadequate disinfection may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not just caused by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice.

For more information, please contact Bradley Milton from the Village of Elbridge at 315-246-4711, Martin Williams from the Village of Jordan at 315-952-0214, or the Onondaga County Health Department at 315-435-6600.