TAMPA - Work crews finished making repairs Wednesday morning at the site of a large water main break near the David L. Tippin Water Treatment Facility. While the city awaits the results of water purity tests and the approval of the health department, hundreds of thousands of residents and business owners are left boiling their water, tracking down bottled water – or closing their doors.

Tampa announced Tuesday morning the deployment of bottled water distribution sites, where residents who need help can pick up a free case of water through Wednesday. The city said Tuesday evening more than 100,000 bottles of water were given out for free.

Rsidents can pick up a free case of water if needed on Wednesday between 8 a.m.-7 p.m.. The city's list of locations and times is posted here.

How long will the boil water notice last?

The boil water notices remained in effect this morning and will continue until at least Thursday afternoon, city officials said. The extra time will be needed for tests and inspection by health officials.

The boil water notice is not confined to the city limits, though. Some Hillsborough County customers who receive their tap water through the city of Tampa are also being urged to take the same precaution. 

Affected areas in Hillsborough County include:

• Eastlake
• Fairview
• Herschel Heights
• Pebble Creek
• Palm River
• Seaboard

In a Monday news release, the county stated, "although it is unlikely there is any contamination in the system, the notice means customers are advised, as a precautionary measure, to boil tap water for cooking and drinking."

Irrigation ban rescinded

On Monday night, The city of Tampa issued a ban on irrigation with the intention of concerving water resources while crews worked to stop the flow from the ruptured transmission line. By Tuesday morning, the city rescinded the ban, allowing agriculture businesses to continue operating and homeowners to water their lawns.

Watermain break at David L. Tippin Water Treatment facility (James Handy/John Wheaton)

How it Started

On Monday evening, Tampa issued a citywide boil water notice, after a "third party" worker at David L. Tippin Water Treatment facility accidentally struck a major transmission line. The large break flooded the surrounding areas. In a news release, the city urged all residents to immediately begin boiling their tap water "to kill any bacteria or viruses that may have entered the water."

The county's health department posted instructions on Twitter

Business Impacts

The effects of the citywide boil water notice were felt almost immediately Busch Gardens Tampa Bay said on Tuesday it was forced to shut down, tweeting, "Unfortunately, due to a sudden water pressure issue impacting the city, the park has closed for the remainder of the day."

Busch Gardens later stated the park will remain closed on Tuesday as well.

Hospitals Taking Precautions

The water main break and resulting boil water notice are also having an impact on at least one hospital. AdventHealth says it has initiated safety plans. The hospital released the following statement:

"In order to ensure the safety of our patients and team members during the citywide water outage, AdventHealth Tampa leaders have activated emergency management teams and are following preparedness protocols at this time. To maintain the highest quality of care for patients, we are distributing bottled water and flushable water to all departments. We are also implementing necessary triage measures for emergency cases to prevent any impacts on patient care."

Spectrum Bay News 9 reached out to Tampa General Hospital to find out what impacts, if any, are being felt there. The hospital responded with this statement: 

"The health and safety of our patients is our number one priority at Tampa General Hospital. During this city wide boil water notice we are working with the state to have water delivered to our campus to meet operational needs. We are also making arrangements to deliver bottled water to all medical units for the next 24 – 48 hours. To minimize any risk of contamination, Tampa General is not allowing patients to bathe, drink or use the city water in any way. Patients will be supplied bottled water for their hydration needs for the duration of this boil water notice."

The University of South Florida said the only on-campus residents affected and needing to boil their water are those located in Greek Village. According to the USF Housing & Residential Education Facebook post about the matter, "No other residence halls at the USF Tampa campus are affected."

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.