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Public Health Solutions
District Health Department
995 East Hwy 33, Ste 1
Crete, NE 68333-2562
888.310.0565
Webmail »
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Drinking water safety
Public water systems test their water supplies regularly for a variety of contaminants to ensure that their customers (that's you if you don't have a private well) don't get sick. Problems with water quality/safety can be caused by aging wellfields, land use around the wellfield, power outages, flooding, and damage to the well system equipment.
Violation notice - If a water system operator finds a problem, they are required by law to notify their customers and give them instructions on how to protect themselves. If they don't test correctly or often enough, the state requires that they notify their customers of their mistake. You may have seen such notifications in the mail, on marquis in town, or on fliers posted in public places.
Boil water order - If a violation notice is issued, it may inlcude instructions to boil water used for cooking, drinking and possibly cleaning/bathing. Instructions may apply to all water users, or only to certain populations who are especially vulnerable depending on what the problem is (i.e. infants, pregnant women, those with compromised immune systems, etc.). Read and follow the instructions carefully. Nitrates, a common contaminant in Nebraska's water, are NOT removed from drinking water by boiling - in fact, boiling water concentrates the amount of nitrates present because of evaporation. Follow boil-water instructions precisely (no longer than 1 minute) to avoid increasing your risk of nitrate consumption.
FAQ's about boil water orders
Emergency Preparedness - Because many emergencies can cause disruptions in water disinfection or delivery (such as power outage, tornado, etc.) it is important to keep some potable water on hand as part of your emergency preparedness kit.
Other links:
E.coli
Nitrates
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