News post

BOIL WATER NOTICE ISSUED FOR BLUESTEM RESIDENTS!

The City of Rhome has issued a Boil Water Notice for users in Bluestem, following a water main break. Residents should boil water for at least 2 minutes prior to use for eating, drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes, etc.

Read the full notice RVR WCID 3 BWN 01-07-2025here.

We will post updates on the water system as they become available.

What should customers on a Boil Water Notice do?

Water for drinking or other human consumption should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

Tips for boiling water:

• Fill a pot with water.
• Heat the water until bubbles come from the bottom of the pot to the top.
• Once the water reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat source and let the water cool
• Pour the water into a clean container with a cover for storage.

Suggestions for different types of water use:

• Preparing and cooking food
• Wash all fruits and vegetables with boiled water that has cooled or with bottled water.
• Bring water to a rolling boil for 2 minutes before adding food to cook.
• Use boiled water when preparing drinks, such as coffee, tea, and lemonade
• Wash food preparation surfaces with boiled water.
• Feeding babies and using formula
• Use ready-to-use baby formula, if possible.
• Prepare powdered or concentrated baby formula with bottled water. Use boiled water if you do not have bottled water. Disinfect water for baby formula if you cannot boil your water.
• Wash and sterilize bottles and nipples before use.
• If you cannot sterilize bottles, try to use single-serve, ready-to-feed bottles.
• Ice making
• Do not use ice from ice trays, ice dispensers, or ice makers.
• Throw out all ice made with tap water.
• Make new ice with boiled or bottled water.
• Bathing and showering
• Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
• Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
• Brushing teeth
• Brush teeth with boiled or bottled water. Do not use untreated tap water.
• Washing dishes
• Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees or if the dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle.
• To wash dishes by hand:
• Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
• In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
• Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute.
• Let the dishes air dry completely.
• Laundry
• It is safe to do laundry as usual.
• Pets
• Pets can get some of the same diseases as people. It is a good idea to give them boiled water that has been cooled too.
• Water filters
• Boil tap water even if it is filtered. Most kitchen and other household water filters typically do not remove bacteria or viruses.