It happened when a water line broke in Junction City. It was the same for the city of Bennington and for Osage County Rural Water District No. 2.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment issued a boil water advisory. A water line break can cause a loss in pressure, said KDHE spokeswoman Sharon Watson.

“When there is a loss of pressure in a water system, there’s the potential for bacteria to enter the system,” she said. “Many times we’ll suggest a boil advisory until the water can be tested to make sure there has been no contamination.”

Since June 6, there have been eight boil water advisories issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment or by individual cities. In total, 19 boil water advisories have been issued so far in 2005. Sixteen boil water advisories were issued in 2004 and 25 in 2003.

Most boil water advisories are issued because of a drop in pressure in a water system, said Roger Coffey, director of Lawrence’s Department of Utilities.

The bulk of boil advisories are issued in the summer and winter, said Watson. Extreme temperatures can cause problems for water systems. In the summer, people likely are using more water and that can tax a water system. During the winter, colder temperatures and shifting earth can cause problems for water lines.

“As a result, summer and winter are the times of the year when boil advisories are more likely to be issued,” Watson said.

Coffey said there have been water line breaks in Lawrence, but they haven’t been a major problem.

“We simply haven’t had anything at this point in time that’s caused us any major concern,” he said.