(KNZA)--The Kansas Department of Health and Environment has issued a boil water advisory for Doniphan County Rural Water District #3 customers in the town of Severance.

The advisory was issued Saturday because of a line break resulting in a loss of pressure in the system. KDHE says failure to maintain adequate pressure may result in a loss of chlorine residuals and bacterial contamination.

Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:

• Boil water for one minute prior to drinking or food preparation or use bottled water.
• Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
• If your tap water appears dirty, flush the water lines by letting the water run until it clears.
• Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersion for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
• Water used for bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested. Persons with cuts or severe rashes may wish to consult their physicians.

The advisory will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial contamination are resolved.