Partial lifting of boil water advisory does not affect Fall River
by Chuck Samples, originally posted on January 1, 2017
On Saturday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) rescinded boil water advisories for Neosho Co. Rural Water District No. 3 and Coal Hollow Water Company located in Neosho County.
They issued the advisory because of high turbidity. High turbidity may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.
Public water suppliers in Kansas take all measures necessary to notify customers quickly after a system failure or shutdown. 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.
Laboratory testing samples collected from Neosho Co. Rural Water District No. 3 and Coal Hollow Water Company indicate no evidence of contamination, and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved.
A boil water advisory still remains in Fall River, and mayor Haskell Fogle says the town will take turns draining the city water tower and pipes on Wednesday.
Residents of Fall River can pick up bottled water at the Fall River Community Building while the boil water advisory continues.
In fact, residents in southeastern Greenwood County have been boiling their water now for over a week. The advisory was first enacted Dec. 22 and then expanded Dec. 23 after high levels of turbidity, or cloudiness in the drinking water.Boil water guidelines are online with this story at KVOE.com.
A boil water advisory affecting much of southeastern Kansas has been partially lifted. Unfortunately, that does not yet mean good news for residents in southeastern Greenwood County who have had to boil their water now for over a week.
On Thursday, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment lifted some of the restrictions for Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 23, which affects residents in parts of Greenwood, Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson counties. However, the boil water advisory remains in effect for numerous towns, including Fall River, and rural water districts in the affected counties.
The advisory was first enacted Dec. 22 and then expanded Dec. 23 after high levels of turbidity, or cloudiness in the drinking water. The cause has not been announced. High turbidity can lead to a loss of chlorine residuals and a higher risk of bacterial contamination.
Residents of Fall River can pick up bottled water at the Fall River Community Building while the boil water advisory continues.
Biol water guidelines can be found below.
Noon Tuesday: Southeast Greenwood County residents may be without drinking water supply all week
Try going without your normal drinking water supply for over a week these days. That’s a definite concern now for residents of southeastern Greenwood County as a boil water advisory continues.
The boil water advisory for Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 23 was issued Thursday. It affects the southeastern quarter of Greenwood County, including the town of Fall River, and portions of Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson counties. Fall River Mayor Haskell Fogle says the concerns stem from unspecified issues at the Fredonia water plant — and the town’s work to handle any resulting problems locally is on hold for the time being.
A call to the Fredonia Water Department has not been returned and KDHE has not provided further updates to the media since last week.
Greenwood County Emergency Management arranged to bring 18 pallets of bottled water to the Fall River Community Building for residents while the boil water advisory is in effect. Fogle says a new shipment is coming in Tuesday, which is good because the supply from Friday was running low.
9 pm Saturday: Bottled water available for Fall River, nearby residents as boil water advisory continues
Residents of southeastern Greenwood and several neighboring counties are still dealing with a boil water advisory that was issued Thursday.
Greenwood County Emergency Management says Fall River residents fall under the boil water advisory, as do residents of the Salt Springs and Pleasant Grove townships. Portions of Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson counties are also in the advisory.
As the advisory continues, Greenwood County has prepared to offer bottled water to affected residents. Nearly 20 pallets of bottled water were trucked in Friday night. Residents who need the water can go to the Fall River Community Building on Christmas and again on Monday.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which issued the advisory, said there was a high level of so-called turbidity for Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 23. This means the water is cloudy or hazy and could be suffering from the loss of chlorine residuals and a resulting risk of bacterial infection.
Tips for properly handling water during a boil advisory can be found below. We’ll keep you updated on KVOE, KVOE.com and KVOE social media.
8:50 am Friday: Large boil water advisory affects parts of Greenwood County
A multi-county boil water advisory affects part of the KVOE listening area to our south.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued the boil water advisory for Public Wholesale Water Supply District No. 23. This affects the city of Fall River and nearby areas in southeastern Greenwood County. It also affects towns like Altoona and Fredonia as well as parts of Montgomery, Neosho and Wilson counties. The exact coverage in Greenwood County is being determined.
The exact situation behind the boil water advisory has not been released, although KDHE has said there was a a loss of pressure across certain water service districts in Neosho County. There was also high turbidity or the presence of cloudiness or haziness in the water. This may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and could lead to bacterial contamination.
Residents affected by the boil water advisory need to take the following steps until the advisory is lifted:
*Boil water for one minute before drinking or preparing food.
*Get rid of current ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic ice maker.
*Disinfect dishes for at least a minute by using a solution of one teaspoon of unscented bleach for every gallon of water. Food preparation surfaces also need to be disinfected using this method.
KDHE says water for bathing purposes does not have to be boiled, but children need to be supervised so they don’t drink the water. If tap water appears dirty, flush the line by letting the water run until it clears.