Staff-members at the City of Wichita continue to work to limit the extent and duration of the boil advisory issued for most City of Wichita water customers, after an old filter malfunctioned on Tuesday.
This includes the ability to isolate a limited portion of Northeast Wichita and instead serve that area via underground reservoirs, thereby rescinding a boil advisory for this area only. This area is between Rock Rd and Webb Rd from 21st Street N to 53rd Street N. Rural Water District 1 is served by this area and is rescinded from the boil water advisory as well. The remainder of Wichita remains under the boil advisory.
City of Wichita wholesale customers still under boil advisory include Derby, Kechi, Rose Hill, Valley Center, and Sedgwick County Rural Water Districts 2, and 3.
In order to lift the boil advisory, the City must demonstrate positive water quality results City-wide. This requires sampling 180 locations, which was completed late Tuesday night. The results of these samples will be available late Wednesday night. At that time, KDHE will evaluate whether the boil advisory can be rescinded for a part or all of the system.
Wichita water customers should continue to take 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.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
For consumer questions, City of Wichita at 316-265-1300, or KDHE at (785) 296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Consumer-Information-Regarding-a-Disrupt
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 kda.fsl@ks.gov or call (785) 564-6767.