Update as of 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday:

The water ban has been lifted for Ames residents in the affected area. 

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A Boil Water Alert has been issued for a portion of northeast Ames, meaning residents of the area should use bottled water or boil tap water for at least one minute because it may be contaminated with bacteria.

The city of Ames expects to release a safe to drink notice by late Tuesday evening.

Affected areas include: 

• north of Union Pacific railroad tracks, west of Dayton Avenue and Lincoln Way, east of Dayton Avenue, as the south boundary
• east of Maxwell Avenue to 16th Street on the west side of the Skunk River, north to Eagles Loft Day Care and east of the Skunk River to the City limits including Barilla

It includes the following properties: ChildServe, Eagle’s Loft Day Care, Iowa Heart Center, Barilla, National Center for Animal Health, Davita Dialysis and Hach Company, according to a city of Ames release.

The Ames Water and Pollution Control Department issued the alert around 3:30 p.m. Monday, when a contractor working at the water plant hit an 18-inch water main, causing a part of the distribution system to lose pressure, according to the release. 

The water main is one of three major mains that serve Ames, according to the city’s website, and “a significant portion of the water distribution system has been disrupted.”

The city of Ames advises those in these areas to use bottled water or to boil tap water for at least one minute for uses such as drinking, washing dishes, brushing teeth preparing food or making ice, etc.

The city will release a safe to drink notice when they deem the water safe again.