Boil water advisory issued in Pottawatomie County

BELVUE (KSNT) - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a boil water advisory on Jan. 15 for the City of Belvue in Pottawatomie County.

This boil water advisory impacts the public water supply system for the City of Belvue, according to a press release from the KDHE. Local residents are encouraged to take the following precautions until further notice:

• 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.

The state issued the advisory due to an equipment malfunction that caused a loss of pressure in the water distribution system. This failure to keep the correct amount of pressure in the system resulted in a loss of chlorine residuals and possible bacterial contamination.

Only the KDHE has the authority to issue an order rescinding the boil water advisory following a period of testing at a certified laboratory. If you have questions regarding this alert, you can call the water system at 785-456-1597 or the KDHE at 785-296-5514. More information can be found online by clicking here.

Local restaurants and other establishments that serve food can send questions to the Kansas Department of Agriculture's food safety and lodging program at kda.fsl@ks.gov or by calling 785-564-6767.

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