LISBON — Residents were ordered not to consume the tap water from the town’s drinking water system late Thursday afternoon due to unsafe conditions, four hours after Water Department interim General Manager Shelley Reynolds announced it was safe to drink and use.

The order, issued at 3:55 p.m., said people should also not use the public drinking water for brushing teeth, making ice cubes, food preparation or any other activity in which the water could be consumed. The order is in effect until further notice from the Lisbon Water Department.

Around noon Thursday, Reynolds posted a letter on the department’s Facebook page saying the water was safe to drink and use.

“We know how frustrating it can be when you feel you can’t trust the water you are paying for and don’t know if it is safe to use,” the letter stated. “While it is not very appetizing, it is safe to drink and use.”

No reason for the order or further details were offered by the town. Reynolds did not respond to a phone message Thursday afternoon.

The department had been addressing complaints about the town’s water quality over the past few weeks, Reynolds said in the letter. Brown water had affected areas of Lisbon and Lisbon Falls in the past 24 hours.

Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact Reynolds at 207-522-0909 or contact the state of Maine Drinking Water Program at 207-287-2070.