FAQs - BOIL WATER - WAHOO
Here is a list of some of the questions we have received regarding our boil notice and related testing:
Who is impacted by this notice?
The City of Wahoo water is supplied to residents of the corporate limits of Wahoo, Wahoo Cemeteries located east of Wahoo, and those who receive their water from the Lower Platte North NRD (primarily Colon). The City of Wahoo does billing for communities such as Malmo and Ithaca, but they are independent systems and are not connected to Wahoo's water system. Only those services that are receiving water from the City of Wahoo water distribution system are impacted by the boil notice. (Note: Colon is served water from Wahoo by a water main that runs from Wahoo to Colon, and is operated by the Lower Platte North NRD.)
How often is testing done?
The City of Wahoo, as required by Nebraska public water system operation guidelines, does testing on the water system monthly. The Wahoo water system is divided up into five zones. Each of those zones have five testing locations. Each month, a sample is pulled from a testing location in each zone. The specific date each month that the samples are collected varies to allow for staff availability, wind or weather conditions, etc. Once samples are collected they are delivered to the lab for testing. If a contaminant is detected in the test results that requires public notification (as per the public water system operation guidelines), Wahoo is directly contacted by the lab and the State of Nebraska.
When was the water tested where the E. coli was detected?
City of Wahoo licensed water operators pulled samples from the five zones on Monday, November 3. These were delivered to the lab for testing that day. On Tuesday, November 4, the City of Wahoo received notification of an E. coli "hit" in one of the five samples. Four of the five samples pulled also showed a coliform "hit". (E. coli is a specific type of coliform.) One sample returned with no contamination.
How did this E. coli contamination happen?
At this time, the exact cause of the E. coli contamination has not been determined. However, our staff is actively investigating several potential sources. While no specific cause has been confirmed, possible contributing factors under review include cross-contamination related to recent water main construction activities or the possibility of contamination entering the water tower.
As part of this investigation, we are contacting professional water tower inspection companies to schedule a thorough inspection of the tower to help identify or rule out any potential issues. Our team is also reviewing recent maintenance records, sampling results, and operating conditions throughout the system to better understand what may have contributed to this event.
When was the water last tested?
The last testing date of our water was done on October 7, 2025. All test results came back negative to any contaminants.
What is being done to make Wahoo's water safe again?
On Wednesday afternoon, our operators begin chlorinating the water system. We will continue to do that as well as a good flushing of the system that will distribute the chlorine disinfection throughout the system. This will be done by overflowing the water tower and opening hydrants in strategic locations across the system. However, just because we are doing this does not mean the boil order has been lifted. As per the notice that we delivered to each customer of our system, at a minimum, the boil order is in place through November 7. Please follow the City's Facebook page, check the City of Wahoo's website, and turn to local TV new channels to watch for an official lift of the boil notice.
Please continue to check back to this page for updates on our FAQs.