Boil order issued for Oberon water

Concerns over “disease-causing organisms” have led Benson County officials to warn residents of Oberon, N.D. about their drinking water.

In a notice distributed to residents on September 27 and posted to Facebook, Benson County Emergency Management (BCEM) is asking Oberon residents to boil their water before using it, thereby killing any dangerous bacteria that could exist.

The warning comes after reports that a loss of pressure to the water distribution system may have allowed dangerous bacteria to contaminate Oberon's drinking water.

Benson County Emergency Manager Scott Todahl told the Transcript that the pressure loss was noticed on Thursday, Sept. 26, and is likely the result of a mechanical issue within the city’s water plant.

He added that there are no confirmed dangerous bacteria in the water as of Monday, Sept. 30, and that the notice to boil water is largely a precautionary measure.

Oberon city officials are working with the N.D. Department of Health to remedy the situation as soon as possible, but residents won’t get the all clear until the mechanical issue is fixed, a flush is conducted, and water samples are tested.

“Once water pressure is restored, the city will flush the system and collect samples to test for disease-causing organisms to determine if the water is safe to drink,” states the notice.

In the meantime, residents are being asked to be safe and boil any water before using it.

“Boiled water, bottled water or water from another approved source should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and food preparation until further notice,” states the BCEM notice.

Additionally, parents are asked to strictly use bottled water if they’re mixing baby formula.

Potential symptoms of disease-causing organisms include diarrhea, cramps, nausea and headaches, and anyone experiencing those symptoms is asked to contact a doctor.

“People with severely compromised immune systems, infants, and some elderly may be at increased risk,” the notice adds. “These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care provider.”

General guidelines for how residents can mitigate the risk of dangerous microbes are available by contacting the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1-800-426-4791.

Anyone with questions about boiling their water can find additional information regarding boil orders located on the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality website: https://deq.nd.gov/Publications/MF/BoilOrders.pdf

For further information residents can also contact the City of Oberon at (701) 798-2030.