The boiling order issued by some Peabody residents at 2:30 pm on Friday lasts until 1 pm on Tuesday, during which simple meals are eaten on paper plates to avoid the need for water.
Others, such as Courtney Schmill, put boiling water in a pot next to the sink and add bleach to the dishes.
“Unless you consciously remind yourself not to dabble, you won’t realize how much you dabble in the water,” she said. “I feel like a pioneer woman, immersing my tableware on an open flame.”
Shmill sat in the bathroom while her 9-year-old son was taking a shower, reminding him not to open his mouth. She also bought bottled water for the two to use when brushing their teeth and washing their faces.
“I am grateful that bathing and washing are okay,” she said, “but, God, I’m ready to use the faucet again.”
City councillor and water committee member Jay Gfeller (Jay Gfeller) said that due to a circuit breaker problem, the valve that was closed during the inspection of the Peabody water tower on Thursday could not be reopened.
It causes an imbalance in water pressure, which may disturb the residual chlorine level and cause bacterial growth, so the Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a boiling order.
Within an hour of issuing the boiling order, Gfeller and other city workers took to the streets to distribute leaflets with safety information.
The city contacted the store to make sure they had enough bottled water. Peabody Markets kept water stocks during the self-sufficient drought, even though it could not operate water dispensers, soda dispensers, or coffee machines-all of which were a lot of money for the store.
It did not cause an uproar like the boiling order in the warm season. On Monday, the shelves of Peabody Market and Family Dollar were still filled with bottled water.
On Monday, the daily chlorine test found that the chlorine had reached a safe level, but water samples must be sent to Pace Analytical in Salina to obtain information that KDHE needs to lift the boiling order.
Peabody officials said that Pez Analytica has closed on the weekend and cannot accept samples before Monday, so Tuesday is the earliest time that orders can be cancelled.