Boil water advisory impacts residents in St. Marys, Pottawatomie County

TOPEKA (KSNT) - State health officials say a boil water advisory is active for parts of the City of St. Marys and Pottawatomie County following a round of severe storms.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued the boil water advisory on the morning of April 18. It impacts residents living north of Elm Street in St. Marys. Until the order is rescinded, locals should take the following precautions:

• 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. 
• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears. 
• 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. 

Jill Bronaugh with the KDHE says the advisory will stay in place until problems with the local water system are fixed. Health officials ordered the boil water advisory following a loss of pressure in the local water system as a result of a power outage. This can lead to an increase in bacteria in the water lines.

Only the KDHE has the ability to issue or rescind a boil water advisory. If you have any questions for the water system, call 785-437-2311 or contact the KDHE by dialing 785-296-5514. More information can be found on the KDHE's website by clicking here.

Local residents looking for bottled water are being asked to visit the St. Marys Fire Station. If you can't come in person to collect, you can call 785-437-3605 for a delivery.

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