Boil water advisory issued for city of Edwardsville, southwest KCK and Lake of the Forest

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for the public water supply located in the city of Edwardsville, southwest Kansas City, Kan., and Lake of the Forest.

KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure, according to a news release. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination. This is a result of a main break located near 86th Street and Interstate 70, according to the news release.

The 2,700 customers affected are in an area generally bounded on the north by I-70, 72nd Street on the east, 118th Street extended on the west and the Kansas River on the south and a smaller area bounded by Tauromee Avenue on the north, 72nd Street on the east and 78th Street on the west.

The advisory took effect on Nov. 17, and will remain in effect until conditions which place the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be adequately resolved.

If customers have questions, they may contact BPU Customer Service at 913-573-9190.

Customers should observe 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.
• 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.
• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
KDHE will issue a rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.