subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite map
Tue, Nov 10 2009 

Published July 10, 2008 08:50 pm - LAMAR, Mo. — A boil order has been issued for Lamar’s municipal water system, affecting about 4,600 people. The order, issued Thursday by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, was in reaction to high turbidity levels in the water.

Lamar under boil order



By Wally Kennedy

wkennedy@joplinglobe.com

LAMAR, Mo. — A boil order has been issued for Lamar’s municipal water system, affecting about 4,600 people.

The order, issued Thursday by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, was in reaction to high turbidity levels in the water. The problem became apparent last weekend, but was not serious enough to require a boil order until Thursday, city officials said.

Turbidity is a measure of suspended particles in drinking water, sometimes called cloudiness.

The residents of Lamar are being told to boil their water for three minutes before use for cooking and drinking. Water used for bathing does not need to be boiled.

The DNR and the city are attempting to determine the cause of the turbidity.

Lynn Calton, city manager, said, “We’re not for sure yet what has caused this. We have not been able to pinpoint the cause, but we have a theory.’’

Calton said it is believed that recent rains have stirred up the sediment in Lamar Lake, which is fed by three small streams on the southeast side of the town. Lamar gets its water from the lake.

“The rains caused it to be more turbid in the lake, and it was more than the treatment plant could handle under normal circumstances,” he said. “That’s the probable cause.

“We started seeing a bit of problem last Saturday. We thought we had it all cleared up. We did a little flushing, but it kept getting worse. So, we decided to take all of the water out of the plant, scrub it down and start over, so to speak.”

The city had drained its holding tank and clear well of finished water, and scrubbed them down in hopes of bringing the plant back into operation late Thursday. Calton said sediment had built up in those two locations.

“Once we get good water into the system, we’ll do a lot of flushing at the fire hydrants to get the cloudy water out of the system that is in the pipes,” Calton said. “The chlorine levels have stayed where they should be.”

Calton, who said this is the first time he has been involved in a municipal boil order, said all of the cloudy water should be out of the system by this afternoon. He said it is not clear when the DNR will lift the boil order, but Calton hoped it would happen before the weekend.

Lamar Lake collects from a watershed that is 3,000 acres in size. The city fills its three water-storage towers with treated water from the lake.



print this story    email this story    comment on this story   

Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.


Add a comment on this story







autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Click here!!

: Special Offer For New Subscribers : 32 buy 1 get 1 free offers

Click Here!



Featured Jobs

ORTHOPAEDIC
Specialist of the Four States is currently accepting applications for the following postiions: Physical Therapist, Occcu...>MORE

See all ads

Featured Transportation

VOLKSWAGEN, 1998 BEETLE,
black, 5 speed, looks, runs and drives great, only 84,000 miles, $3400. 417-621-0850....>MORE

See all ads

Featured Homes

NO CREDIT
needed qualify for 0 down Own completely remodeled 3/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, new front deck...>MORE

NO CREDIT NEEDED QUALIFY
for 0 down Own completely remodeled 2/2 16x80 single section manufacturered home, 2 acres, trees, corner lot, large deck...>MORE

Deerfield Estates
in Carl Junction, prime building sites, reduced $10,000 each. 417-825-0052...>MORE

1995 16x72 2 BR, 2 BA,
fully furnished, all appliances, 1 owner, beautiful, smoke free, must move. $17,500. (417)423-2385....>MORE

See all ads

Other Cool Stuff

TEA CUP
Chihuahua pup, female, shots, wormed. Information (417)843-2735...>MORE

CRAFTSMAN
radial 10” arm saw; skil saw 7 1/4”; Singer Featherweight machine; clocks/pocket watches; 7.62-54 rifle, accessories; Ca...>MORE

10 YEAR OLD BUCKSKIN
mare, 14-hands, broke for anyone, $750; miniature Jack and bred Jenny, $400 pair. (417)434-3700....>MORE

1993 KUBOTA 1560
lawn tractor, 42” cut with bagger, $800. (417)364-8231....>MORE

BASS BOAT, 2005
Lowe aluminum, 17’, 2005 90 hp Mercury, 2006 trailer, excellent shape, low hours. $7,500. (417)776-8846 evenings or 417-...>MORE

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index

 

 

The Joplin Globe Electronic Edition