A citywide boil water advisory is in effect for the City of Kenai as of 6:10 a.m. on Wednesday.
Power was lost at the water treatment plant due to high winds on Wednesday morning, according to the city. Kenai City Manager Paul Ostrander said the power went out at around 5:30 Wednesday morning. The backup generator did turn on, but shut off shortly after and is now being troubleshooted by the city. Staff responded at 5:50 a.m. and power was restored by 6:10 a.m., according to the city.
The power outage resulted in a loss of pressure, meaning there is an increased chance of microbiological contamination, according to the city’s notice. All users of the city’s public water system should be boiled for at least two minutes before being used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation.
Now that the city has restored the water pressure, the water lines will be flushed and disinfected in addition to water being tested for bacteria. If fecal coliform or E. coli are found to be present in the water, then it may have been contaminated with human or animal waste, according to the notice.
Ostrander said that water testing was complete by 1 p.m. on Wednesday and that they should have results back within 24 hours.
Reach reporter Ashlyn O’Hara at ashlyn.ohara@peninsulaclarion.com.
