WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — State health officials want Bennington residents to boil water before drinking it.
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Bennington public water supply system in Ottawa County. The KDHE says a power surge caused a loss of pressure in the system. When pressure drops, chlorine residuals can be lost, and bacteria may get into the water.
Bennington water customers should:
- Boil water for one minute before drinking it or using it in 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 immersing them for at least one minute in clean tap water containing one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
- Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. However, children should be supervised while bathing to prevent water from being ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.
The KDHE will lift the advisory once the problem is fixed and laboratory tests determine the water is safe.
For consumer questions, contact the water system at 785-488-3767 or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information, visit KDHE’s Public Water System Consumer Information webpage here.
