Gallatin Boil Water Notice: What Residents, Restaurants and Schools Should Do

If a Gallatin boil water notice is issued, use commercially bottled water or follow the exact boiling instructions in the official notice for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice and food preparation. Check the City of Gallatin Alert Center and CodeRED notifications. If Gallatin Public Utilities serves your address, call 615-451-5922 for a water emergency or to ask whether the city utility serves your property. If another utility supplies your water, follow that provider’s notice instead.

Last verified: August 16, 2026

Current status: The City of Gallatin Alert Center showed no active alerts when checked on August 16, 2026. That status can change, and a city alert may not cover every utility system in the Gallatin area. Check the current notice for your water provider and address before using tap water.

If officials issue a Gallatin boil water notice, stop using untreated tap water for drinking and food-related activities until the responsible water system says the notice is lifted. Use commercially bottled water or follow the exact boiling instructions in the official notice. This generally includes water used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, preparing infant formula, washing food that will be eaten raw and cooking.

What to do first during a Gallatin boil water notice

1. Read the official notice carefully. Look for the affected area, water-system name, issue date, reason for the notice, boiling time and instructions for when the notice ends.
2. Use bottled water or properly boiled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, making ice, preparing infant formula and washing food that will be eaten without further cooking.
3. Do not use ice made from tap water. Empty ice trays, ice makers and refrigerator dispensers that may have been filled after the advisory began. CDC guidance says not to use water or ice from appliances connected to the water line during a drinking-water advisory.
4. Share the notice with household members, tenants, employees, customers, students, caregivers and anyone else who uses the affected water supply.
5. Do not assume every Gallatin address is affected. Confirm the water provider and geographic area listed in the notice.

A boil water notice is not the same as a “do not drink” or “do not use” advisory. Boiling is intended to kill germs, but it may not make water safe when the problem involves certain chemicals, toxins or radioactive materials. Follow the advisory’s wording rather than relying on a general rule.

How to check whether your Gallatin address is affected

Check City of Gallatin alerts and CodeRED

The City of Gallatin’s Alert Center is the city’s online location for alerts and emergencies. It also provides options for subscribing to notifications.

Gallatin’s CodeRED system can send emergency notifications by telephone, text message, email and social media. The city lists boil water orders among the emergency warnings subscribers may choose to receive.

For an urgent situation, check the current official alert before sharing screenshots or older social-media posts. A previous notice may apply to a different street, water system or time period.

Confirm your water provider

Gallatin Public Utilities provides water, wastewater and natural-gas services in the City of Gallatin and in certain areas outside the city limits. The broader area also includes properties served by utility districts, so city limits alone do not always identify the water provider.

If you receive a bill from a utility district or another provider, follow that provider’s notice and contact information. If you are unsure who supplies your water, check your utility bill or contact the utility before assuming that a City of Gallatin notice applies to your address.

What water is safe to use during a boil water notice

Drinking, cooking, ice and brushing teeth

Use commercially bottled water or water treated exactly as directed by the issuing authority for:

• Drinking
• Making coffee, tea, infant formula or other beverages
• Cooking and preparing food
• Washing fruits and vegetables that will be eaten without further cooking
• Brushing teeth
• Making ice
• Filling pet water bowls
• Cleaning baby bottles and feeding equipment

If boiling is the approved treatment, bring the water to a rolling boil for the duration stated in the official notice, then let it cool before using it. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation advisory template uses a three-minute rolling boil, while CDC general guidance for a boil water advisory uses one minute at typical elevations. Because the required instruction can depend on the specific advisory, follow the local notice first.

A home pitcher filter, refrigerator filter or other household filter does not automatically make advisory water safe. CDC guidance says to boil water even if it has passed through a home filter.

Bathing, handwashing, dishes and laundry

The official notice should explain whether tap water may be used for bathing, handwashing, dishwashing and other household tasks. Under general CDC guidance for a boil water advisory, people may often wash their hands with tap water and soap, but they should avoid swallowing the water. Use extra caution when bathing babies and young children.

For dishes, disposable plates and utensils are the simplest option. CDC guidance says a dishwasher is generally considered safe when it has a sanitizing cycle or reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F, but residents should check the appliance manual and the local advisory. Hand-washed dishes may require a separate sanitizing step.

Laundry can generally be washed as usual during a boil water advisory, but any local instruction that is more restrictive takes priority.

Guidance for Gallatin restaurants, schools and child-care settings

Restaurants, school kitchens, child-care facilities and other food-service operations should stop using untreated advisory water for food, drinks, ice and equipment connected to the water line. CDC commercial-setting guidance recommends discontinuing or modifying equipment such as ice machines, post-mix beverage machines, spray misters, auto-fill coffee makers and instant hot-water equipment until the water is cleared or an approved alternative is available.

Businesses should discard ice and beverages made with untreated water after the advisory began and use commercially manufactured ice or approved bottled water as directed by the notice. Food-service operators should follow instructions from the issuing utility and the Tennessee health authority responsible for their facility rather than relying on household guidance alone.

Schools and child-care providers should communicate the notice to families and staff, provide safe drinking water, review food-preparation procedures and follow any additional instructions for cafeterias, drinking fountains, nurses’ offices and bottle preparation.

What to do after the notice is lifted

Do not return to normal water use until the responsible water system officially says the notice has ended. The utility may provide instructions for flushing indoor plumbing, cleaning faucets, replacing filters, discarding ice and restarting water-connected equipment. EPA guidance says flushing requirements vary and should come from the water system because the appropriate steps depend on the incident and the plumbing involved.

When a notice is lifted:

1. Read the clearance message completely.
2. Follow any instructions for flushing faucets and appliances.
3. Make a fresh batch of ice if old ice may have been made during the advisory.
4. Clean and sanitize water-connected equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions and the utility’s guidance.
5. Keep the clearance notice for your business, school or facility records if documentation is required.

When to call Gallatin Public Utilities or another authority

Call Gallatin Public Utilities at 615-451-5922 to report a water emergency or ask whether the city utility serves your address. The department lists the same number for regular and after-hours contact, and lists its office at 239 Hancock Street, Gallatin. Its posted weekday office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Contact the issuing utility—not only the city—when you need to confirm:

• Whether your street is included
• How long the notice is expected to remain in effect
• Whether bottled water or another alternate supply is available
• Whether a business, school or child-care facility has additional requirements
• How to flush your plumbing after the notice is lifted

If you believe a public water-system problem has not been addressed, Tennessee’s Department of Environment and Conservation accepts citizen water-quality complaints through its online form or by phone at 888-891-8332.

Prepare before the next water emergency

Save Gallatin Public Utilities’ emergency number in your phone, subscribe to Gallatin CodeRED alerts and bookmark the city’s Alert Center. Keep commercially bottled water available for drinking and food preparation.

For current instructions, always use the notice issued for your water system and address. This article is a preparedness guide, not a substitute for an active advisory from Gallatin Public Utilities, a utility district, the City of Gallatin or a public-health authority.