TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) issued a boil water advisory for the City of Claflin public water supply system on Thursday, Aug. 29.

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.

The advisory will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because the city cannot currently maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination. 

Only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, contact the water system at 620-587-3707, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage is kdhe.ks.gov/waterdisruption.