UPDATED AT 5:50 P.M.: Cause of rupture at Lewiston's High Reservoir not known yet; order to boil water will remain in place until further notice; water filling station open at community center on Main Street

UPDATE AT 5:50 P.M.:

The cause of the rupture at the city of Lewiston's High Reservoir hasn't been determined yet, according to an updated news release the city sent this evening.

Also, the city's order for people to boil water before drinking it will remain in effect until further notice, according to the news release.

When the rupture happened, it sent 3 million gallons of water rushing to the north, resulting in localized flooding in nearby neighborhoods. The rupture happened in the early morning hours Wednesday.

Wednesday evening's updated news release also mentioned that a water filling station has been established at the Lewiston Community Center, 1424 Main St., for Lewiston water customers in need of clean drinking water. Residents are asked to bring their own water containers to the filling station. The station will be open until 8 p.m. today, then reopen from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday.

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UPDATE AT 5:01 P.M.:

All Lewiston school will resume Thursday, the school district announced this evening. McSorley Elementary, Webster Elementary and Whitman Elementary were all closed Wednesday because of the order to boil water.

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UPDATE AT 3:36 P.M.:

Mayor Dan Johnson issued a declaration of local disaster emergency for the city of Lewiston.

The declaration states that a breach/failure of a water-holding reservoir in the city has resulted in the flooding of multiple homes and businesses and compromised potable water for more than 24,000 residents. The situation has caused a boil alert water order to be issued by the city.

The flooding and lack of potable water for so many residents constitutes a "disaster" and an "emergency" defined by Idaho Code.

The declaration activates governmental disaster emergency plans and authorized aid and assistance.

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UPDATE AT 12:42 P.M.:

St. Joseph Regional Medical Center in Lewiston announced on its Facebook page that it has "taken every action to prevent anyone from accidentally ingesting potentially contaminated water" because of the reservoir break early in the morning.

The hospital has established an incident command, communicated temporary hand-cleaning protocols and acquired safe drinking water for patients, according to the Facebook post.

Also, the public is asked to enter the hospital through the north entrance only, according to Samantha Skinner, marketing and communications director.

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UPDATE AT 10:33 A.M.:

The broken reservoir in Lewiston's Sunset addition is only affecting city of Lewiston customers.

People who live in the Orchards and get their drinking water from the Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District don't need to take any precautions, according to Barney Metz, LOID manager.

Metz said LOID stands ready to assist the city with equipment and additional water. He said the city is attempting to locate a water trailer, which would provide water for any downtown Lewiston residents who need it. And LOID would provide the water for the trailer.

Metz said LOID's water supply is at full capacity, so no restrictions are in place.

Carol Maurer, public information officer for the city of Lewiston, said the boil water order is in place for residents who pay a city of Lewiston water bill. Those who pay a LOID water bill don't need to take any precautions.

Maurer also said the main message is for residents to boil water for consumption, but no precautions are needed to bathe with the water.

Staff are still assessing the damage, but homeowners who are affected by water damage, like flooding or debris, can call (208) 984-7096. Maurer said at this point no one has been displaced.

“We will address each unique situation as it needs,” she said.

Roads to the affected area are also blocked and the public is asked to stay away so crews can work and for safety reasons.

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UPDATE AT 9:32 A.M.:

The city of Lewiston announced that the following road are closed between their 2300 and 2500 blocks: 16th Avenue, 11th Avenue, Sunset Drive, Ninth Avenue and Eighth Avenue.

Those road were affected by the flooding caused by the broken reservoir.

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UPDATE AT 8:38 A.M.

The Lewiston School District has closed three of its schools as a result of the reservoir failure.

According to a news release from the school district: Due to the City's "Boil Alert Order" and infrastructure issues in the downtown area, the following schools will be closed today -- McSorley Elementary, Webster Elementary and Whitman Elementary.

The reservoir that failed is located off of the intersection of 16th Avenue and 29th Street in the Sunset addition. A portion of that roadway was washed out by flood waters when it failed and city of Lewiston personnel can be seen at a number of residents north of the reservoir inspecting damage.

This story will be updated throughout the day as information becomes available.

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UPDATE AT 7:27 A.M.:

The city of Lewiston issued an alert this morning for all of its customers to boil drinking water because of a reservoir failure in a portion of the city's water system.

Out of "an abundance of caution," the water boiling order is for all city of Lewiston customers, according to the news release. The order is not for Lewiston Orchards Irrigation District customers.

Any water that is consumed through drinking, cooking and brushing teeth should be boiled. Water used for bathing doesn't need to be treated.

The city is also requesting that customers practice conserving water as much as possible.

The city provided these guidelines for boiling water to make it safe:

* If the water from your tap is clear, boil it for three minutes to disinfect. This kills disease-causing bacteria and parasites. Instead of boiling, you may add one-eighth of a teaspoon household bleach per gallon of water and let it sit for half an hour.

* If the water is cloudy, filter it by pouring it through a coffee filter and then boil for three minutes.

* If you cannot boil the water, filter it through a coffee filter and add one-fourth of a teaspoon of household bleach per gallon of water. Let it sit for one hour.

* Another option is bottled water. Make sure bottles come in tightly sealed containers. Water bottles less than six months old are best.

* The boil water alert order will remain in effect until officials from the City of Lewiston have issued a safe to drink order.

The city will issue more information as it becomes available on its website and Facebook page.