DES MOINES — A boil advisory was issued Monday for the communities of Greenfield, Fontanelle and Orient in Adair County following a water main break. Schools in the County will have bottled water on-hand for students and staff until the advisory is lifted.

The incident happened around 4:00 p.m. when a contractor hit a 10 inch main near the Greenfield city water tower, resulting in pressure loss. City officials isolated the leak, and repairs are underway. Once repairs are completed the affected area will be disinfected and flushed.

Along with the City of Greenfield, Greenfield Municipal Utilities (GMU) also supplies the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association (SIRWA) #1 – Greenfield and the City of Fontanelle with drinking water. Additionally, the City of Orient receives its water from SIRWA #1 – Greenfield.

Officials have notified affected residents through city Facebook pages and postings in public locations. Customers are encouraged to boil water that will be consumed or used for food preparation. Water should be boiled for two minutes and allowed to cool before use. Water is safe to use for showering, laundry, general washing and outdoor use without boiling.

Bacteria samples will be collected for testing. The boil advisory will be lifted when bacterial samples have tested negative for bacteria.