Category: Rural Water System

UPDATE: 10/29/24

UPDATE: 10/28/24

Dakota County Rural Water Systems customers are still under a water boil notice. Our crews continue to conduct testing. Once we receive the test results, we let you know when the boil notice has been lifted via the news media, our social media, and website. In the meantime, please continue to boil your drinking water for at least three minutes.

——————————————————————————————————————————————–

Drinking Water Boil Notice Issued for Dakota County Rural Water

Customers Need to Boil Water for Three Minutes Before Using

Following a drinking water boil notice issued by the City of Dakota City, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD) has also issued a boil water notice for customers of the Dakota County Rural Water System. The notice instructs customers to boil their water for at least three minutes before drinking it.

A water main break that feeds the water tower for Dakota County Rural Water resulted in a loss of pressure in the Dakota City distribution system. This may cause backpressure, backsiphonage, or a net movement of water from outside the pipe to the inside through cracks, breaks, or joints in the distribution system that are common in all water systems.

Such a system failure carries with it a potential that fecal contamination or other disease-causing organisms could enter the distribution system. These conditions may pose an imminent and substantial health endangerment to persons served by the system.

What Should I Do?

Until further notice:

 DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST.

• Bring all water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes, let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
• Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.
• Discard all stored water, drinks or ice made recently from this water supply.

Inadequately treated water may contain disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

Due to the large number of customers, the Papio NRD will inform users when the water boil notice is lifted via the news media, social media, and our website.