A precautionary boil order is in effect until at least Friday afternoon for 440 customers in an unincorporated area between Dyer and St. John.

A hydrant break Wednesday morning on 101st Avenue forced Aqua Indiana to issue the boil order for residents in the Prairie Trails, Enclave and Emerald Crossing subdivisions, as well as businesses located along 101st Avenue, according to the company.

Because water pressure was not maintained throughout the system, Aqua Indiana issued the boil order in accordance with Indiana Department of Environmental Management regulations.

The hydrant was repaired and water pressure has been restored, but IDEM requires that the boil order remain in place until two acceptable sets of bacteria results are obtained over two consecutive days from various locations affected by the outage, according to the company.

Bottled or boiled water should be used until further notice. When using tap water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes or preparing food, water should be brought to a full boil for at least one minute then allowed to cool before using.