LIFTED - Osawatomie and KDHE Issue City-Wide Boil Water Advisory

Boil Water Advisory Lifted | November 9, 2024 - 12:30pm

We are pleased to announce that the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has rescinded the boil water advisory for the City of Osawatomie. The water samples collected have been tested by a certified laboratory and have met all safety standards.

What This Means for You:

• It is now safe to drink tap water without boiling.
• Ice made during the advisory should be discarded, and automatic ice makers should be emptied and cleaned.
• If your tap water appears cloudy or discolored, run the water for a few minutes until it clears.

We are thankful to the Osawatomie community for your patience and understanding during this advisory as our crews worked swiftly to resolve the issue.

Stay Informed: To receive future updates directly to your phone, sign up for Emergency Alerts by texting OZALERTS to 91896.

Update on Boil Water Advisory - STILL IN EFFECT | November 8th, 2024 - 12:00 PM 

Overnight, our crews worked tirelessly to address the mechanical failure at the water treatment plant, and we're pleased to report that the equipment is now back online and the plant is currently being brought back to full operation. Today, our team is collecting water samples to send to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) laboratory for testing. These tests will determine if the boil water advisory can be lifted, but it may take 24-36 hours before we receive the results. The boil water advisory remains in effect until KDHE confirms that the water meets safety standards. 

It is important to note that most home filtration systems are not a replacement for boiling water during a boil water advisory. Boiling water addresses a different concern than home water filters, which is the potential for reduced chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination due to the high turbidity. Please continue following the boil water advisory guidelines until further notice even if you have a home water filtration system.

We appreciate the community's understanding and cooperation during this time. Our crews have made incredible progress, and we’re working as quickly as possible to restore normal service. Any future updates, including the notice that the boil advisory has been lifted, will be posted on the City's website, Facebook page, and sent out through our text notification system. To receive these updates directly, sign up for Emergency Alerts by texting OZALERTS to 91896.
 

Original Post | November 7th, 2024 - 11:45am

Due to a mechanical failure at the City of Osawatomie water treatment plant, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Osawatomie public water supply system located in Miami County. 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 ice-maker.
• 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 advisory took effect on November 7 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of high turbidity at the treatment plant following a mechanical failure. High turbidity can lead to a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination. Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory. City officials are currently working to address the mechanical failure.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 913-755-2146, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service

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 & lodging program at [email protected] or call 785-564-6767.

The official release from KDHE is attached to this announcement.