MIDDLEBURY — Residents living along the Route 116 corridor in Middlebury can go back to drinking their tap water. On Monday afternoon water department officials called off a boil water order that had been in place for 17 days.

After the Aug. 3 flooding broke a Case Street water main near Dow Pond, the town water department ordered residents north of the Jehovah’s Witness Church on Route 116, in the Butternut Ridge and Mead Lane neighborhood, and in the Lindale Trailer Park to boil tap water before using it for drinking and washing. After the water main broke, the water folks installed a temporary fix, but water officials warn that bacteria could get into the line.

The Water Department Issued this announcement:

“Given the nature of our temporary repairs to the broken water main along Route 116, and recently cleared water quality testing results, the State of Vermont is allowing us to lift the boil water notice for the residents in the affected area.

“Therefore, there is NO boil water notice or recommendation for anyone served by the Middlebury municipal water system at this time.

“Thank you for your patience.”