The City of West Plains has issued a boil water advisory effective until further notice for the area around Ozarks Medical Center (OMC) due to water line repair.
The affected area includes Kentucky Avenue from 10th Street to Sixth Street, OMC, OMC Shaw Building, H.O.M.E. Building and OMC Orthopedic Center.
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) requires that the advisory remain in place until the water is tested and comes back safe to drink.
Water in this area should be boiled for three to five minutes if used for cooking or drinking; do not use ice from an automatic ice maker during this time.
Dishes may be cleaned by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains a teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
Water used for bathing, cleaning or handwashing does not need to be boiled.
According to DNR, a public water system may issue a boil water advisory when a problem with water is possible, but has not been confirmed, such as in the case of water main breaks or other low-pressure events where contamination is possible.