Adrian lifts boil-water advisory after follow-up testing

The City of Adrian lifted its boil-water advisory on July 30 after the city said repeated testing found the water system safe for normal consumption.

The advisory had been issued July 21 for all City of Adrian water customers after the city reported a chlorine-system problem late July 20. The original notice said the system had stopped adding the appropriate amount of chlorine to treated water. It reported a reading of 0.47 milligrams per liter, compared with the city’s stated target of 0.5 milligrams per liter when water leaves the treatment plant.

The city said the problem had been identified and corrected. Customers were told to bring water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes before drinking it, making ice, brushing teeth, preparing food or infant formula, washing fruits and vegetables, or giving it to pets.

Advisory lifted July 30

In the newer alert, the city said the advisory had been lifted after the system was tested several times. The notice said the water was safe for normal consumption and that the system never fell below the required standards for chlorine.

The two notices use different benchmarks: the July 21 notice identified a reading below the city’s stated treatment target, while the July 30 alert referred to required chlorine standards. The July 30 alert is the city’s latest available status update, so customers served by the city water system may return to normal use.

The City of Adrian water utility serves customers within the city limits. The city separately identifies Public Water District No. 5 of Bates County as serving the rural community, so residents outside the city system should rely on notices from their own water provider rather than assume the Adrian advisory applied to them.

Advisory versus order

The Missouri Department of Natural Resources distinguishes a precautionary boil-water advisory from a formal boil-water order. The department says a public water system may issue an advisory when there is concern that a drinking-water problem may exist but has not been confirmed. A formal order is issued when a threat to public health exists or is likely to exist and boiling the water will remedy it.

The department also notes that its current boil-water-order listing does not include precautionary advisories. For Adrian customers, the City of Adrian’s July 30 alert—not the state listing—provides the relevant confirmation that the advisory was lifted.

Residents with questions about their service can contact Adrian City Hall at 816-297-2659.

Sources

• City of Adrian July 30 alert
• Missouri Department of Natural Resources boil-water guidance