Kansas health officials are urging residents of the city of Walton, in Harvey County, to boil water before drinking it or using it to prepare food.

The boil water advisory was issued because of a water line break that caused a loss of pressure in the system, raising the risk of contamination.  The advisory will be in effect until testing can confirm that the water is safe.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has recommendations for people under a boil water advisory:

• 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.