By Quinn O’Hara

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced a boil water advisory for Morris and Geary Counties Sunday, due to a loss of pressure in the water system that could potentially have put the system at risk of bacterial infection. The Department said the watch will be lifted when lab test results provide a negative result for bacterial infection. 

The following areas are affected by the watch:

North of Carr Rd. south along Highway 57

Clark’s Creek Rd.

Thomas Creek Rd.

Lyons Creek Rd.

Highway 77 south of Junction City

The northern section of Humboldt Creek Rd.

The northern portion of Lower McDowell Creek Rd. to I-70

The Department noted that customers in those areas should observe the following precautions:

Boil water for one minute before drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.

Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.

If 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.