Belle Plaine residents need to boil water, throw out ice after lightning strike
Belle Plaine residents should boil tap water used for cooking, drinking and other household uses until further notice following a lightning strike that caused a loss of pressure in the city’s water system, according to a news release from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The boil-water advisory started Wednesday and won’t be lifted until a certified laboratory conducts testing to show the water is safe. Pressure losses can cause “loss of cholorine residuals and bacterial contamination,” the KDHE said in the release.
The KDHE says residents should take the following precautions:
- If tap water looks dirty, let the water run until it looks clears.
- Boil water for one minute before drinking or preparing food — or use bottled water instead.
- Throw out ice cubes and don’t use household automatic icemakers.
- Disinfect dishes and surfaces by immersing them for at least one minute in a mixture of one gallon clean tap water and one teaspoon of unscented household bleach.
- Supervise children while they bathe so they don’t swallow any water. Generally bath and shower water doesn’t have to be boiled. Although anyone with cuts or severe rashes might consult their physicians.
Anyone with questions can call the city of Belle Plaine or KDHE at 785-296-5795. More information about boil water advisories is located at www.kdheks.gov/pws/emergencyresponse/water_disruption.htm.
For updates on the situation in Belle Plaine, go to:
- the KDHE news website
- the KDHE Facebook page
- the KDHE Twitter page.
This story was originally published May 1, 2019 at 10:01 AM.
