Eudora resident Misty McCormick considered herself lucky Thursday.

A cashier at Eudora’s C & S Market, McCormick picked up three gallons of water in Lawrence Wednesday after a neighbor called and told her that a boil advisory for the city’s water had been issued by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

“We just got a big shipment of bottled water from Pepsi,” McCormick said while working Thursday. “But we don’t have any gallons of water left. We’re totally out.”

Throughout Thursday, customers in the store complained about the boil advisory and the lack of bottled water.

“We’re trying to calm everyone down and trying to at least put the information out that the boil advisory was a precautionary measure,” said Eudora City Supt. Jim Boyer.

The advisory was issued Wednesday afternoon after Eudora city crews made an emergency repair of a city waterline, and it remained in effect Thursday night.

Boyer said when city crews shut down the water lines Wednesday afternoon some customers saw a drop in water pressure; service to others was completely cut off. The shutdown could make it easier for bacteria to enter the water line and contaminate water, Boyer said.

He said water samples were delivered to Topeka on Thursday afternoon for testing.

“We’re hoping we get some kind of analysis done and an update on the water soon,” he said. “But the boil advisory will stay in place until we know otherwise.”

Barbara Walters, Eudora, right, along with granddaughter Madison Franklin, 7, joined other city residents in stocking up on bottled water Thursday at C&S Market in Eudora. City residents are under a boil

KDHE spokeswoman Sharon Watson said today would be the earliest the water boil advisory could be lifted.

Eudora residents said the situation is an inconvenience, but some said they were more frustrated they weren’t alerted earlier.

Sean Roether said his family called city officials Wednesday afternoon to find out if they should be boiling the water because it looked “very dirty and yellow.” The city official said the water didn’t need to be boiled.

“It was mid-morning before we heard that we should be boiling the water,” Roether said. “Boiling it is inconvenient, but my frustration comes in the fact that we called and asked and were told ‘no’ and went about our business. That happened with a lot of people.”

Water fountains were turned off at Eudora High School and food service staff members supplied bottled water to all the schools in the district, said EHS principal Dale Sample.

6News video: Eudora residents upset at ‘boil order’ (03-03-05) Eudorans advised to boil water before consuming (03-03-05) 6News video: Eudora under ‘boil order’ for water consumption (03-02-05)

“And we have it in the nurses’ office for any student that has to take meds or if any kid feels like they’re dehydrated,” Sample said. He said students also were allowed to leave bottled water in the school’s office if they wanted to get a drink between classes.

— 6News reporter Deanna Richards contributed to this report.