Repair crews have been working to make repairs in at least two areas of the Emporia Water Treatment Plant that led to an expansive boil water advisory early Tuesday. City Manager Trey Cocking says more work remains ahead before the process of stabilizing the water system can advance.
Cocking tells KVOE News the plan as of 7 pm Tuesday is to refill towers through the overnight hours and resume the repair process Wednesday. Following repairs, the plan is to flush the system before submitting two rounds of water test samples to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Friday is the earliest the boil water advisory could be lifted.
Cocking says the plant has had concerns about filtration, especially after over six inches of rain in the Emporia city limits since last Wednesday, so that situation was being monitored when an internal treatment line failed early Tuesday. The combination led to excessive turbidity, or cloudiness in the water.
The boil water advisory continues for Emporia and the following systems:
*Olpe and, by extension, Hartford
*Lyon County RWD 2 immediately west of Emporia into far west Chase County
*Lyon County RWD 3, including southwest Lyon County
*Lyon County RWD 4, including Neosho Rapids
*Lyon County RWD 5, including east-central and northeast Lyon County
*Coffey County RWD 2E, including customers in Lyon County
*Park Place Communities mobile park home located east of Emporia on US Highway 50
While the repair process continues, the area’s bottled water supply began easing by late afternoon after most locations sold all their stock. Dillons, Good’s Cash Saver and Walmart got substantial restock by late afternoon. Many other locations in Emporia say they will be restocked no later than Thursday.
KDHE has several recommended steps during boil water advisories:
*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.
*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.
*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.
6:50 am-7 pm Tuesday: Boil water advisory in effect until at least Friday for Emporia, most of Lyon County, parts of neighboring counties
A pair of issues have triggered a boil water advisory for the city of Emporia and other water customers across Lyon and parts of nearby counties.
Emporia City Manager Trey Cocking alerted residents during KVOE’s Morning Show on Tuesday:
Cocking says work is ongoing to find the sources of both issues, but it may be late Tuesday night before the situation is either resolved or more information comes to light. There is more work ahead to stabilize the system this week, and it may take all week to get the system back to normal.
The city now expects the boil water advisory will last until at least Friday.
Cocking says the filtration issue is a concern, especially in periods of heavy rainfall.
On KVOE’s Newsmaker segment Tuesday, City Commissioner Susan Brinkman said elected officials are being kept in the loop.
Besides Emporia, this affects:
*Olpe and, by extension, Hartford
*Lyon County RWD 2 immediately west of Emporia into far west Chase County
*Lyon County RWD 3, including southwest Lyon County
*Lyon County RWD 4, including Neosho Rapids
*Lyon County RWD 5, including east-central and northeast Lyon County
*Coffey County RWD 2E, including customers in Lyon County
*Park Place Communities mobile park home located east of Emporia on US Highway 50
Lyon County Rural Water District 1, including Admire, Allen, and Bushong, and the town of Reading — served by Osage County RWD 7, are not currently included.
Local grocery stores are drained of their bottled water supplies.
*Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply’s reload is to be determined
*Country Mart and Good’s Cash Saver: Good’s has 24-packs of drinking water and 1-gallon water jugs in stock. Limit two packs and three gallons per customer.
*Dillons received a shipment of water Tuesday afternoon. There is no limit on cases per customer, however, residents are asked to only take what is needed. Per management, “If we that people are being disrespectful and hoarding, we will slap a limit on it.”
*Dollar General reload is expected by Thursday
*Sutherlands may have water available by Thursday
*Tractor Supply has a limited water supply
*Walmart received 19 pallets of water Tuesday afternoon.
*Waters Hardware reload is to be determined
For affected residents, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment standard is boiling water for one minute for cooking, drinking and oral hygiene needs unless residents choose to use bottled water instead. Residents will need to use a rolling boil for the full 60 seconds before letting the water cool for use.
Adjustments are rapidly unfolding.
USD 253 Emporia Director of Community Relations Lyndel Landgren says the district will have classes on schedule. Water fountains will be shut off while the advisory is in effect, but breakfasts and lunches will be served with extra precautions to ensure they are made and served in a safe manner.
USD 252 Southern Lyon County already had some water bottles left over after the city of Olpe had a separate water main break Oct. 24-30. Superintendent Ryan Muhlig says more bottled water will be brought to district schools and the district’s kitchen teams are also boiling water.
At Flint Hills Technical College, President Caron Daugherty credited Cocking for his rapid updates overnight.
Daugherty also says the college’s water-intensive programs like Culinary Arts and Welding will still have classes — with some adjustments. Daugherty expects at least 1,500 extra water bottles have been brought to the college’s different campus locations. Despite work to boil water in Culinary Arts, Daugherty says the college may need more bottled water by Wednesday afternoon.
Newman Regional Health has activated its Incident Command Team and has distributed an unlisted amount of safe water in the hospital for staff and patient use. CareArc, meanwhile, is providing bottles water to staff and has shut off all its water fountains. CEO Renee Hively says the dental clinic has self-contained distilled water units, so it can proceed with appointments.
There are several business adjustments because of the water advisory. Click here for the list.
We will have updates throughout this process on KVOE.com. If your business, restaurant or nonprofit has either adjusted operations or is closed due to the advisory, email kvoe@kvoe.com or message the Bluestem Farm and Ranch text line at 620-342-5863.
Residents wanting immediate information about city alerts, including this boil water advisory, can also download the MyAlerts app.
City of Emporia news release: 11 am Tuesday
The City of Emporia anticipates that the KDHE boil water advisory will remain in effect until at least Friday, November 8, 2024, as City staff continue working to repair mechanical issues at the Water Treatment Plant and follow KDHE guidelines to ensure water quality compliance.
Our team is actively addressing the issues that have impacted water quality and led to discoloration in the water supply. We are committed to restoring water service that meets KDHE safety standards as quickly as possible.
Residents are reminded of the following guidelines during the boil water advisory:
*Use bottled water or boil tap water for drinking, cooking, and oral hygiene.
*Avoid using tap water for these purposes until further notice.
*Ensure any water intended for consumption is brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
The City will provide updates as they become available on official platforms, including the City website and social media channels. We appreciate the community’s patience and cooperation as we work diligently to resolve these issues and ensure the safety of Emporia’s water supply.
Rural water customers should contact their respective water districts to determine if they are affected by the advisory.
For more information, please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage:
https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service.
City of Emporia initial news release: 6:35 am Tuesday
Emporia, Kansas – November 5, 2024 – The City of Emporia has identified mechanical issues at the Water Treatment Plant that have affected the quality of the water service. Currently, the water does not meet the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) standards for safe consumption. Residents may notice discoloration in their water, which is directly linked to these issues.
In accordance with KDHE guidelines, a boil water advisory has been issued. This advisory recommends that all residents boil water used for drinking, cooking, and oral hygiene for at least one minute before consumption. This precaution is necessary to ensure public safety until the water quality is restored.
KDHE advises that individuals should:
• Use bottled water or boil water for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth.
• Avoid using tap water for these purposes until further notice.
• Ensure all water used for consumption is brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute.
Updates regarding the situation will be released on official city platforms as they become available. Residents are encouraged to stay informed through the city’s website and social media channels.
The City of Emporia Water Department is working diligently to resolve these issues and restore water quality to KDHE standards.
We appreciate the community’s understanding and cooperation during this time.
Rural water customers should contact their water district directly to see if they are affected by the boil advisory.
