Olpe Schools will be in session despite a boil water advisory still being in place until further notice.
According to USD 252 Superintendent Ryan Muhlig, the district will resume classes as normal Monday, however, school drinking fountains will be out of service for as long as the advisory remains in place both at Olpe Junior/Senior High and the Olpe Daycare Center. Muhlig says the district has ordered several cases of water and will have stations set up throughout the school for students and staff.
The district was unaffected by the water main break, first reported Thursday evening and found Friday, which drained the city’s water tank and led to the advisory due to a scheduled off-day. The break did, however, lead to the daycare shutting down for the day as well as the Olpe Chicken House having adjusted hours.
While speaking with Muhlig Sunday, KVOE asked if the district has or will have any policies in place for handling such a situation. Muhlig responded there is no specific policy in place, the district simply follows the advice of experts, in this case, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.
The boil water advisory will remain in effect until cleared by KDHE following the submission of test samples. At last word, testing was scheduled to take place Monday and it will take at least 24 hours for KDHE to lift the advisory, assuming the samples come back clear.
If they do not, another round of samples will need to be submitted. With the advisory still in place, there are several recommendations residents should follow when it comes to handling water including:
*Boiling water for one minute before drinking or food preparation or using bottled water.
*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 immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
*Dumping out any ice from automatic ice makers.
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.
There is currently no word on any schedule adjustments for local businesses or city operations. KVOE News has reached out to city leadership for additional information.
