Boil water advisory set for Jefferson County residents

JEFFERSON COUNTY (KSNT) - A boil water advisory has been issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment for the Jefferson Rural Water District No. 10 public water supply system.

Customers in the affected area are encouraged to take precautions such as:

• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
• Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
• Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
• Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
• Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.

The advisory will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. The KDHE issued the advisory due to a loss of pressure in the distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

Only the KDHE is allowed to rescind a boil water advisory once it has been announced. If you have any questions regarding this matter, contact the water system or reach out to the KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information, go to the KDHE's PWS Consumer Information website here.

If you own a restaurant or other food establishment and you have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory, reach out to the Kansas Department of Agriculture's food safety and lodging program at 785-564-6767 or by email: kda.fsl@ks.gov.