Boil order on at Rocky Boy

People on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation should boil their water before using it until further notice, says a public notice posted Tuesday on the Facebook page of KHEW 88.5 F.M., the tribe’s radio station.

Tribal Water Resources Interim Director Curtis Monteau could not be reached for further comment before print deadline today.

“Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice,” the notice says. “Do not drink the water without boiling it first.”

The notice says people should boil tap water for 3 minutes and then let it cool before using it.

The reservation’s water system has lost a great deal of water in recent weeks because of low pressure and a loss of water from broken pipes in unheated, abandoned houses.

Crews are working to locate and repair all broken water lines as quickly as possible, the notice says, and the problem should be resolved within the next two weeks

People are urged to conserve water and notify Water Resources if they know of any broken lines or have left their home due to a lack of heat so the department can turn off water to the house.

The notice says people should boll water to kill bacteria and other organisms in dirty water that might enter broken pipes.

“This water may contain disease-causing organisms,” the notice says. “These organism can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, cramps and associated headache. They may (pose) a greater health risk for infants, young children some of the elderly and people with severalty compromised immune systems.”

Such symptoms the notice says, are not caused only by organisms in drinking water, and if people continue experiencing any such symptoms they should seek medical advice.

General guidelines on ways to reduce the risk of infection by microbes in water are available through the Environmental Protection Agency’s hotline at 1-800-426-4791.