YODER, Kan. — Residents of Yoder and areas north are going to have to deal with some water issues for the foreseeable future.
Water tests conducted this summer show the nitrate level in the Rural Water District 1 has increased beyond KDHE limits. A second test recently showed little change in the nitrate level. That means the water is not suitable for infants, pregnant women or nursing mothers.
Public Works Director Don Brittain reported to the County Commission that they will have to provide bottled water for the short term and then purchase water from Rural Water District 3, which is located by the old naval base. Brittain says he is not sure why the nitrate level went up in the area water wells, but said it could be attributed to the 2019 flooding. He also noted that, for now, he doesn’t have a plan in place for dealing with the water quality, but it is being discussed.
Brittain says he hopes to make that changeover in the water service for those in the affected area in the next two months.