One boil order lifted; another imposed

Hours after lifting a three-day-old boil order for public water customers in Burns, state officials issued a new boil order Saturday for customers of Rural Water District No. 1, which serves mainly the northwest quarter of the county.

Both orders came after water line breaks resulted in loss of pressure in water distribution systems, potentially reducing chlorination that removes bacterial contamination.

Residents receiving water from District No. 1 are being told to:

• Boil tap water for one minute before drinking it or using it in food preparation.
• Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from automatic icemakers.
• If tap water appears dirty, let water run until it clears.
• Disinfect dishes and other food surfaces by immersing them for at least a minute in clean tap water that contains a teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
• Supervise children while bathing so water is not ingested, consult a physician about any cuts or severe rashes, but otherwise rest assured that water generally does not need to be boiled before bathing.

The order will remain in effect until Kansas Department of Health and Environment receives test results from a certified laboratory.

Burns faced a similar order issued Wednesday evening and lifted Saturday morning.