WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Portis public water supply system in Osborne County.

The advisory took effect Thursday and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved. KDHE officials issued the advisory because of a loss of pressure which may result in chlorine loss.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

  • 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 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.

KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 758-346-4020 or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information, please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage.