Florence ordered to boil water

A boil order was issued Tuesday for Florence’s public water supply system.

Customers are being urged to use bottled water or to boil tap water for one minute before drinking it or using it in food preparation.

Ice cubes should be discarded. If tap water appears dirty, water should be allowed to run until it clears.

Dishes and other surfaces that come in contact with food should be immersed for at least a minute in clean tap water that contains a teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.

Water used for bathing does not need to be boiled, but children should besupervised while bathing to ensure that they don’t ingest the water. People with cuts or rashes should consult their physicians.

The advisory will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued the advisory after determining that the city could not maintain minimum required chlorine levels in water.

Failure to maintain required chlorine levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination.

The advisory cannot be rescinded by local authorities. Only the state can rescind the order, and that will come only after testing at a certified laboratory.