The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Nickerson public water supply system, located in Reno County. This advisory is not related to Covid-19.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

• 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.

The advisory took effect on January 7th and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure in the distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.