Originally posted on November 1, 2016

GALENA, Kan. — Parts of the city of Galena have been advised to boil their water today, according to an advisory sent out by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The affected areas, locally known as Empire, includes portions of the city north of 612 N. Jefferson St., south of 1709 N. Columbus St. and 1602 N. Wood St, east of 717 West Vine St. and west of 613 Jackson St.

KDHE recommends the following precautions:

• 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.

The first report of a possible problem was made yesterday morning at 10 a.m. Monday and fixed by 10:30 p.m. the same day, according to Kevin Williams, a member of city’s public works department. Crews found a 15-foot crack along an 8-inch main line. Williams said the defective part of the pipe was cut out and new pipe was inserted.

Currently, the city is waiting on lab samples sent out this morning to clear the boil order. Until then, the order is ongoing.

The last time Galena was issued a boil advisory was in August. Prior to that, it was under boil advisory in May of last year.

This story was updated to add Galena has fixed the underlying reason for the boil order.

originally posted on October 27, 2016

SHERWOOD, Ore. — A precautionary boil water advisory is in effect for some Sherwood residents Wednesday evening.

A water main break off SW Willow Court caused an interruption in water service, possibly affecting 800 customers and leaving 22 homes without water.

The city will collect water samples and results are expected by Oct. 28.

The city advises residents boil all tap water intended for drinking, preparation of food, washing of food utensils or for first aid.

originally posted on October 26, 2016

NOTE: The County’s Public Water system has not been impacted by this issue. It relates to Lundie Utilities Customers ONLY. For Lundie Utilities water customers only in the following areas: Wildwood Farms, Southern Oaks, Huckleberry Hills, and Pamela Estates.

PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY, Va. — Some people who live in Prince George County are being advised to boil tap water or use bottled water after a water system malfunction.

“The water system experienced a period of water system outage due to a malfunction of the pumps which pressurize the water system,” a county spokesperson said. “The system has been repaired and it is back up and running under normal pressure. Due to the outages and as a precaution we are advising residents to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution.”

If water samples taken Wednesday and Thursday confirm the water is safe to drink, the boil advisory will be lifted.

“Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, beverage and food preparation, and making ice until further notice,” the county continued. “Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water. Boiling is the preferred method to assure that the tap water is safe to drink. Bring all tap water to a rolling boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water.”

If you cannot boil your tap water:

An alternative method of purification for residents that do not have gas or electricity available is to use liquid household bleach to disinfect water. The bleach product should be recently purchased, free of additives and scents, and should contain a hypochlorite solution of at least 5.25%. Public health officials recommend adding 8 drops of bleach (about ¼ teaspoon) to each gallon of water. The water should be stirred and allowed to stand for at least 30 minutes before use.

Water purification tablets may also be used by following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Again we will inform you when you no longer need to boil your water.

by Jordan Onwiler, originally posted on October 27, 2016

The city of Arapahoe is advising residents to boil the tap water before use following a water main break on Tuesday.

A post on the Arapahoe Chamber of Commerce Facebook page said repairs were being made but residents should boil their water for 3-5 minutes before using it to drink or cook with.

Black Hills Energy is providing bottled water that can be picked up at the Arapahoe City Hall.

by Leonard Sparks, originally posted on October 25, 2016

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Last week, Newburgh resident Fontas Lamb walked the city’s neighborhoods handing out information on the blood-testing program that starts next week for residents exposed to the contaminate behind the closure of Washington Lake, the city’s primary water supply.

Outreach was one of the themes he addressed when speaking Tuesday at the third public meeting concerning the contamination crisis.

“Everbody’s talking politics and conspiracy theories, while people are really suffering,” Lamb said. “Something needs to be done and we need to get out there and reach the people.”

Eight days have passed since the state announced that blood testing would begin Nov. 1 for City of Newburgh, and Town of New Windsor and Newburgh residents exposed to perfluorooctane sulfonate, or PFOS.

The chemical, whose high levels forced the closure of the lake, is linked with kidney and testicular cancers, low infant birth weight, high cholesterol and other problems.

The state Department of Health has outlined an outreach strategy whose goal is to get as many people as possible tested. But several people who spoke at the meeting, which took place at the Newburgh Armory Unity Center, implored DOH to do more.

“We have to go where the people are,” said Jen Benson, education and outreach coordinator for environmental group Riverkeeper. “Hopefully, DOH got a really good sense of what needs to be done to reach all the community.”

Seven dates for blood testing were announced last week, with testing to be hosted by Cornerstone Family Healthcare at two of its locations: 147 Lake St. and 290 Broadway.

Appointments can be made by calling 518-402-7950 or emailing BEOE@health.ny.gov, and DOH officials have committed to adding new testing dates to meet demand.

“This is just the beginning of the process,” said Nathan Graber, director of DOH’s Center for Environmental Health.

Newburgh resident Cynthia Mack already has an appointment, as do her daughter and 2-year-old grandson. Mack once lived at Silver Stream Park, in the Town of New Windsor, when her well and those of neighbors were contaminated in the 1990s with MTBE, a gasoline additive.

Her son was diagnosed with cancer at 18 and died at 19. At the meeting, she showed his picture to Martin Brand, director for DEC’s Region 3.

“It’s like a Stephen King novel,” she said of dealing with another contamination crisis. “It’s just a horror story.”

Among those registering for testing at the meeting were Desmond Bowman and Carrie Price.

Bowman said he was worried about getting cancer and wondered if the contamination was to blame for the regular headaches and body aches he has felt for the last two years. Price, 50, said her 27-year-old son complains of aches and fatigue.

“I’m scared to death,” Price said.

Originally posted on October 21, 2016

The Livingston Community Water Authority issued a precautionary boil water advisory for a small group of homes within the Country Club subdivision located north of Grand River Avenue and west of Old U.S. 23 within Brighton Township.

Officials said a resident reported water coming out of the ground at the intersection of Leland and Weber drives on Friday.

The LCWA started repairs around 11 a.m., which resulted in a shutdown of the water main in this section of the subdivision, and is expected to last at least 72 hours.

A precautionary boil water advisory only includes water that will be used for human consumption or for cooking.

originally posted on October 27, 2016

A boil water advisory was issued late Tuesday for downtown Watkinsville and areas east and south of town, but no major water contamination problems have been found, a spokeswoman for the Oconee County Utility Department said Wednesday.

“We don’t expect any problems from our testing because the water is clear and the preliminary tests did not show any problems,” she said.

The break occurred in an old water line probably 50 years old or more, according to the utility department. The outage lasted about 3 to 4 hours.

As a safeguard, all citizens who had a water outage or low pressure in or near the affected areas are advised to boil water prior to drinking, cooking or preparing baby food. The water advisory is required by the state to stay into effect for 24 hours.

Other areas effected were locations along Barnett Shoals Road, Simonton Bridge Road and Greensboro Highway. The county will notify the public when the advisory ends.

originally posted on October 25, 2016

TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for Johnston Trailer Court public water supply located in Geary County. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of positive bacteriological samples from the source water.

The advisory took effect on October 25 and will remain in effect until conditions which place the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be adequately resolved.

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.

Public water suppliers in Kansas take all measures necessary to notify customers quickly after a system failure. Regardless of whether it’s the supplier or KDHE that announces a boil water advisory, KDHE will issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

At KDHE, our mission is to protect and improve the health and environment of all Kansans.

Through education, direct services and the assessment of data and trends, coupled with policy development and enforcement, KDHE will improve health and quality of life. We prevent illness, injuries and foster a safe and sustainable environment for the people of Kansas.

By Staff Reports, originally posted on October 21, 2016

A boil water advisory is in effect for customers on Carr Hill Road, east of Terrace Lake Road and customers on Terrace Lake Road, north of Carr Hill Road.

All customers in Suburban Court also were affected, Southwestern Bartholomew Water Corp. officials said.

Water service for the customers was disrupted Friday after contractors cut a water line on Terrace Lake Road, the water company said.

Water service was restored at 1:15 p.m., but the boil water advisory will continue for the customers until noon Thursday.

As a precaution, customers should bring water to a full boil for five minutes before consumption or use in cooking or food preparation.

On Monday, the water to the customers affected by the Friday outage will be off from 1 to 3 p.m. for water main work in the area.

originally posted on October 25, 2016

A boil alert has been issued in the downtown Upper Sandusky area after a water main break in the neighborhood.

All consumers affected by the water main break should have received a door hanging explaining the boil alert.

As a precaution, state and local officials recommend that, until further notice, consumers vigorously boil, for one minute, any water for drinking, including water used for cooking, oral hygiene and making ice.

The break led to the possibility of the presence of coliform bacteria in the water supply, according to the notice.

The water department is collecting samples from the affected area to ensure that the water is free from any bacterial contamination that may have resulted while repairing the break.

Consumers will receive a second notice when the water advisory is lifted.

For information, call the water treatment plant at 419-294-2416.