Strong City residents are in a boil water advisory after an improvement project went awry Wednesday.
Water operator Matt Markley says boring crews with IdeaTek hit three separate water lines in a 60-minute stretch Wednesday afternoon.
At one point, the system was losing around 2,000 gallons of water per minute.
IdeaTek has been doing underground work as it builds out fiber-based Internet service to Strong City and Cottonwood Falls as part of a nearly $4 million state grant.
Affected residents are told to boil water for 60 seconds before preparing food or drinking the water. Other tips:
*Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household ice maker
*Disinfect dishes by immersing them in for at least one minute in a solution containing one teaspoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water. Food contact surfaces like countertops or stovetops can be disinfected using the same method
*Bathing water does not have to be boiled, but children need to be supervised so they do not accidentally drink the water
Markley is asking residents to be patient because the advisory may be in place until at least Wednesday. Because the KDHE testing office is typically closed for weekends, samples may not be headed to Topeka until Monday at the earliest and it takes at least 24 hours for testing to conclude.
