The Kansas Department of Health and Environment rescinded a boil-water advisory for the Bourbon County Rural Water District # 2 public water supply system on April 23, according to the KDHE website press release. But the City of Uniontown, located 17 miles west of Fort Scott, is still under a water boil order. That boil order should end this afternoon, if the water samples submitted are cleared.

The City of Fort Scott was cleared to stop boiling its drinking water on April 21, following water samples sent to a KDHE-approved lab.

“Fort Scott has to be cleared first, then Water District #2, and then Uniontown,” said Uniontown City Clerk Haley Arnold.

“(Uniontown City Superintendent) Bobby Rich took the water samples yesterday to the lab at Frontenac to submit them. They have to incubate for 24 hours, so we should find out by 2 p.m. today.”

“Some people thought we were out of the boil order because Water District 2 is our supplier, but we are following the guidelines we have been given,” she said.

The advisory was issued last weekend because of a waterline break resulting in a loss of pressure in the city of Fort Scott’s distribution system. Failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

The Boil Water Advisory is still in effect for the City of Uniontown public water supply system, according to the press release.

“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 notice following testing at a certified laboratory,” according to the press release.

“Laboratory testing of drinking water samples collected from the Bourbon Co RWD 2C system indicates 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 Bourbon Co RWD 2C water system at 620-223-1110, or the city of Uniontown water system at 620-756-4742, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information, please visit our webpage: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/468/Disruption-in-Water-Service.”