OSKALOOSA – A pump malfunction in the Oskaloosa water treatment plant caused the city’s two water towers to empty overnight.
Staff discovered the pressure loss when reporting to work Tuesday morning and began refilling the water towers.
However low pressure creates the potential for bacteria to enter the system. City officials and the DNR are asking residents in Oskaloosa and Beacon to boil their water until testing shows the water is safe to drink.
Residents should let water boil for one minute, then cool it before using. They should use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
Tap water can be used for bathing and similar purposes.
The city is collecting water samples at 11 locations, including one in Beacon, today and tomorrow. The samples will be sent to a laboratory for testing. The city or DNR will notify residents when water is safe to drink and the advisory is lifted.
City staff will be checking to see why an automated system failed to notify plant operators of the pump failure.
For more information, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 800-426-4791 for general guidelines on ways to reduce risks of infection.