Update as of Friday, May 10:

The boil water advisory has been lifted for Augusta.

Original story from May 8:

Kansas health officials are urging residents in Augusta to boil their water before drinking or cooking with it.

There was a loss of pressure in the system and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment said that places the city’s water system at rick of bacterial contamination.   A boil water advisory will be in effect until further notice.

Augusta water customers are urged to take the following steps:

• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
• 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.