KDHE issues boil water advisory for Winchester in Jefferson Co.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a boil water advisory for the City of Winchester in Jefferson Co.

KDHE officials said they issued the advisory for the City of Winchester public water supply system located in Jefferson Co.

KDHE officials indicated the advisory took effect on Jan. 13 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 an equipment malfunction resulting in a loss of pressure. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

KDHE officials said 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.
• 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.

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or KDHE announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 913-774-2922, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage.

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.

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