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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 9, 2024

Contact: Jill Bronaugh
Jill.P.Bronaugh@ks.gov

Boil Water Advisory Rescinded for City of Galena, Cherokee County

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has rescinded a boil water advisory for the City of Galena public water supply system located in Cherokee County. The advisory was issued because the city could not maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination. 

Public water suppliers in Kansas take all measures necessary to notify customers quickly after a system failure or shutdown. Regardless of whether it’s the supplier or KDHE that announces a boil water advisory, KDHE will issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

Laboratory testing samples collected from the City of Galena indicate no evidence of bacteriological contamination and all other conditions that placed the system at risk of contamination are deemed by KDHE officials to be resolved.  

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at: 620-783-5265 or you may call KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: kdhe.ks.gov/waterdisruption.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 2, 2024

Boil Water Advisory Issued for the City of Galena, Cherokee County

TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued a boil water advisory for the City of Galena public water supply system located in Cherokee County.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

• 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.

The advisory took effect on August 2 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 the city cannot currently maintain the minimum required chlorine residual. Failure to maintain required chlorine residual levels may put the system at risk for bacterial contamination. 

Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a boil water advisory, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.

For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 620-783-5265, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage:  kdhe.ks.gov/waterdisruption

Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the boil water advisory on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at  kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.

Dear Water Customer:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently issued regulations requiring all public water supply (PWS) systems to develop a Lead Service Line Inventory (LSLI) of both water system owned and your privately owned service lines. Your PWS system must submit this inventory to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) by October 16, 2024.

While these contaminants are not in the source water, they can enter tap water through the corrosion of service line piping and older household plumbing materials. Your water system is sending this survey to all customers asking that you complete and return the form below. We thank you for your cooperation in helping us with this to continue to serve clean and safe drinking water to our customers. Please take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire to the best of your ability and return to the address at the end of the questionnaire.

Additional information on the Lead and Copper Rule and identifying lead pipes and plumbing can be found on the KDHE website at: kdhe.ks.gov/547 or at the EPA Website at: epa.gov/dwreginfo/lead-and-copper-rule

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Name *

First

Last

Phone Number *

Property Street Address *

Do you have active water service at the address listed above? *

• Yes
• No

Structure Type *Single Family HomeMulti-Family Home (duplex/quadplex)ApartmentCommercial BuildingIndustrial Facility

Year Built

If you are unsure on the year your home was built you can visit Cherokee County Appraisers website at https://cherokeecountyks.gov/main/departments/appraiser.

What pipe material is the service line pipe entering your house, foundation, or business made of? *LeadLeadCopperGalvanized SteelPVCHDPEPEXASBESTOS CEMENTOTHER NON-LEADUNKNOWN

Materials List (Check all the apply)

Plumbing Pipe Material Examples

Poly/Pex

Copper/Lead

Galvanized Steel

PVC

What year was your service line installed?

This may be the year the structure was built.

What size pipe is the service line entering your house or business? (inches)

What material are the plumbing pipes in your house or business mostly made of? *LeadCopperGalvanized SteelPVCHDPEPEXASBESTOS-CEMENTOTHER NON-LEADUnknown

Plumbing Pipe Material Examples

Poly/Pex

Copper/Lead

Galvanized Steel

PVC

What is the second most common plumbing pipe material in your home or business? *CopperLeadGalvanized SteelPVCHDPEPEXASBESTOS-CEMENTOTHER NON-LEADUNKNOWN

Plumbing Pipe Material Examples

Poly/Pex

Copper/Lead

Galvanized Steel

PVC

How old are the pipes inside your house? *

• Installed before 1989
• Between 1989 and 2014
• After 2014

Do you have a water softener, a whole home water purification system, RO-system, faucet filter or any other treatment device installed in your house or business? *YesNo

If your home or business meets the criteria for lead and copper sampling, would you be willing to participate in this testing? *YesNo

During testing, a Water Supply Employee would bring an empty bottle to your house, provide you with documentation and instructions on collecting the sample, and return the next day for pick up.

Submit