Lawtey placed under additional boil-water notice after water-main break

By Brian Bateman

Lawtey was placed under an additional boil-water notice after a water-main break, according to a July 22, 2026, report from WCJB TV20. The notice affected the City of Lawtey in Bradford County and changed how residents and businesses were expected to use tap water.

While the notice was active, normal tap-water use was subject to public-health precautions. Residents and businesses were instructed to treat tap water as unsafe for drinking or cooking until the water system could be tested and the notice lifted.

What the report confirms

The notice was tied to a water-system failure: a local water-main break. It was described as an additional boil-water notice, adding to recent water-service disruption in the city.

The available reporting does not establish that contamination was confirmed. A boil-water notice is a precaution while the system is evaluated; the report does not provide laboratory-test results or a finding that contaminants were present.

The report also does not give the number of affected customers or define a more specific affected boundary within Lawtey. It identifies the city as the affected location, but there is no basis in the approved information to say that all Bradford County residents were included.

What remains unknown

No notice-lift date was provided in the available report. It also did not say when testing would be completed or identify the results needed before the precaution could end. Residents and businesses should therefore rely on a current notice from the city or water utility for exact instructions and the status of the advisory.

The City of Lawtey’s official City Commission page confirms the municipality and provides an institutional point of follow-up for water-service decisions. That page is not, by itself, an exact notice describing the affected boundaries or the steps required for lifting the precaution.

The immediate effect is practical: people using water in Lawtey may need to change drinking and cooking practices while the water system is tested. The episode also adds to recent service interruptions and raises questions about the reliability of the city’s water infrastructure. The approved report does not provide a repair timeline, customer total or later update.