Do Not Drink Order Issued for Qwik Fuel, LLC., Thomas County
- Lucas Kenney
- a few seconds ago
- 2 min read
The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has issued Do Not Drink Order for Qwik Fuel, LLC. public water supply system located in Thomas County. This advisory was issued because of a failure of disinfection equipment and elevated nitrates in the PWS water. Failure to maintain adequate chlorine residuals may cause bacterial contamination. Because of the presence of elevated nitrate in source water, KDHE is advising the facility and customers not to boil their water, which is the normal approach taken when a loss of disinfection occurs.
Customers should observe the following precautions until further notice:
DO NOT GIVE TAP WATER TO INFANTS. Infants up to six months who drink water containing nitrate in excess of the maximum contaminant level (MCL) could become seriously ill and, if untreated, may die.
Water, juice, and formula intended for infants up to six months should not be prepared with tap water. Use bottled water or other water low in nitrates for this purpose.
DO NOT BOIL TAP WATER. Nitrate levels cannot be reduced by boiling, freezing, filtering, or letting water settle. Excessive boiling can concentrate the nitrates as water evaporates because the nitrates remain in the liquid.
Water should not be ingested or used for brushing teeth. Use bottled water for these purposes.
Do not use water to cook or prepare food.
Dispose of ice cubes and do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker.
Tap water can be used for bathing. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing so that water is not ingested.
Tap water may be used to flush toilets.
The advisory took effect on April 29, 2026 and will remain in effect until the conditions that placed the system at risk of bacterial and nitrate contamination in excess of the MCL are resolved.
Limited bottled water is being supplied by the system to people with medical conditions and infants at risk.
Regardless of whether the public water supplier or Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) announced a Do Not Drink Order, only KDHE can issue the rescind order following testing at a certified laboratory.
For consumer questions, please contact the water system at 510-574-6877, or KDHE at 785-296-5514. For consumer information please visit KDHE’s PWS Consumer Information webpage: kdhe.ks.gov/waterdisruption
Restaurants and other food establishments that have questions about the impact of the Do Not Drink Order on their business can contact the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s food safety & lodging program at kda.fsl@ks.gov or call 785-564-6767.