Pawnee Rock is under a boil water advisory

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Barton County residents who get their water from the City of Pawnee Rock public water supply system should boil it before drinking it.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said the water system had a pressure loss. That can lead to a loss of chlorine residuals and the chance for bacteria.

The KDHE issued a boil water advisory Thursday. It will continue until the KDHE says the problem has been fixed and water tested at a certified laboratory is safe to drink.

These are the precautions customers should take until further notice:

• Boil water for one minute before drinking it or using it in 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.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 620-982-4386 or KDHE at 785-296-5514 . For consumer information, please visit the KDHE’s public water system information website .

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety and lodging program at kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767 .

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