by Crystal Thomas, originally posted on August 16, 2016

Residents of the city of Galena are advised to boil their water for one minute prior to using it for food or drink, according to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said today in a press release.

The boil advisory was issued Tuesday, though Galena experienced a water outage starting Monday at about 6 p.m. Galena Chief of Police Billy Charles, Jr., said water was restored to most areas, but the city is still fixing the water pressure.

KDHE said inadequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals, leading to bacterial contamination, and recommended Galena residents take the following steps in its news release:

• 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.

This story will be updated when KDHE rescinds the boil advisory after testing in a lab. The last boil advisory in Galena occurred May 1, 2015.