Jim Wehr, left, of the Jasper Water Department and Brett Kuebler of the city’s electrical department, right, checked for water clarity before providing potable water to residents this morning at the intersection of Crossroads Avenue and State Road 164 on the city’s east side. The hydrant pumps water from the Dubois Water Department, which is not affected by the boil order issued early this morning to residents who use Jasper water. Staff photo by Heather Rousseau
JASPER — Customers who use Jasper water have been told to boil their water until further notice.
A boil order advisory was issued in the wee hours of this morning because officials have detected a higher-than-normal concentrate of manganese in the water. The order affects Jasper and Ireland customers who use the Jasper utility’s water.
“We don’t want to create a false sense of alarm. We have only a boil order,” Jasper Mayor Terry Seitz said this morning. “We have water pressure. We can use our water for most activities (that does not include consumption). But we don’t want you to drink the water right out of the tap. Boil, boil, boil.”
Seitz added that if tap water is used for something in the last 12 hours, such as for ice, those products should not be consumed.
Ernie Hinkle, manager of the Jasper Gas and Water Department, said manganese is eating the chlorine in the water. Hinkle and city officials are concerned because chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria.
Customers told water officials about discolored water last week, soon after the water department began flushing hydrants. But the department thought the discoloration was a product of the ongoing flushing, Hinkle said.
“Then we noticed that the calls were coming in from all over the city,” he said. “That’s when we realized that something was not right. We investigated and realized (Tuesday) morning that something was amiss.”
After investigation, staff discovered between 2 and 3 o’clock this morning that manganese levels were higher than normal. Soon after, the boil order was issued.
Manganese is a naturally occurring element found in rock formations, soil, water and air.
Officials are trying to determine why the level of manganese increased. They have contacted water experts, including the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, to help with that investigation.
“IDEM is expected to be on the scene this morning. As of 10:30 a.m., they were in route,” Seitz said. Midwestern Engineers have been at the plant since 6:30 a.m., he said.
In the meantime, residents are advised to use bottled water or boil the water they consume, including for drinking and cooking. Water should be boiled for at least five minutes.
That goes for amounts as small as the water used for brushing teeth and washing dishes or using the dish washer.
“Any water that might go in your body should be boiled,” Seitz said.
Officials could not say how long the order will be in effect, but it’s certain to last at least three days. Once a solution has been found, the clean water must be tested twice, and those tests must be 24 hours apart, Hinkle said. Once those tests come back clean, the boil order can be lifted.
Jasper water is drawn from the Patoka River near the Third Avenue Bridge. Because water elsewhere in the county comes from Patoka Reservoir, water outside Jasper is not affected by the boil order.
The water department is giving away water the department has obtained from the Dubois Water system. People who bring their own containers to the intersection of Crossroads Avenue and Second Avenue (State Road 164), which is in front of the Port of Jasper and Eastown Recreation Center on the city’s east side, can have up to 5 gallons of water.
Special consideration for larger volumes will be given if needed; people seeking more than 5 gallons must get a voucher from the department at the water filtration plant, 825 E. Second Ave and can call 812- 482-5252 for information.
Institutions such as Memorial Hospital, nursing homes, schools and medical offices were notified of the order. The health department has been working with commercial businesses, such as restaurants, to implement a strategy for handling the water at their companies, Seitz said.
The city will use the media, including a cable interrupter three times a day — to update the progress.
“We want to remind people of this,” Seitz said. “We will keep everyone informed.”
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