TOPEKA, Kan. – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for the city of Ottawa, in Franklin County, Kan. KDHE officials issued the advisory because compressed air entered the distribution during maintenance on the irrigation system at the high school, which puts the system at risk for contamination.

The advisory took effect on Nov. 7, 2017, 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.

KDHE will issue a rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory and when conditions which place the system at risk of contamination are deemed resolved.

Information from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.