EPHRATA –  Ephrata remains on a boil advisory as it waits for test results to return from Pasco after a broken pipe led to a low-pressure situation that requires testing under state health codes.  

The city should have the results of tests sent to a lab in Pasco by Thursday afternoon. If the results are clear, the advisory will be lifted. If not, the city must chlorinate, flush the system, test again and wait 48 hours for the new results.  

Public Works Director Rob Harris said the repairs on the pipe are completed and his team planned to perform quality checks and testing Wednesday afternoon.  

“We're going to do some flushing and a little bit of some sampling, and we've got to wait for the results of the samples to come back before we remove the isolation on that pipe,” Harris said.  

Harris said water from that particular pipe, which water was routed around once the leak was discovered, would have to be tested separately before it could be reincorporated into the system. That process will have its own 48-hour timeline, but will not prevent the rest of the system from being deemed safe if the first round of tests comes back clear.