Repeated water outages prompt boil advisory in Perry County
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
PERRY COUNTY, Mo. (KBSI) — A second water-related issue in less than a week has prompted a boil water advisory for customers served by a Perry County water system, raising concerns about reliability and communication.
According to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the issue began Saturday, April 11, when a pipe fitting blew off inside the SK&M Water and Sewer Company pump house. The failure caused water storage levels to drop, leading to a loss of pressure for some customers.
The department says it was not notified of the issue until Monday morning, April 13.
“The Department of Natural Resources was made aware of the most recent water outage this morning, April 13, 2026,” the agency said in a statement.
As a result, the water system issued a precautionary boil water advisory Monday, advising residents to boil water before use until further notice.
State officials say public water systems are required to notify the department within 24 hours, or the next business day, after a low-pressure event.
“A public water system is required to notify the department within 24 hours (or the next business day) any time it experiences a low water pressure event below 20 psi,” the department said.
When a boil water advisory is issued, systems are expected to make reasonable efforts to notify customers.
“This often involves radio, television, and social media notifications, written postings in public places, or door-to-door notification if the number of affected customers is small,” the department said.
According to the department, customers in the Shakertown area were notified of the latest advisory through Facebook, local radio and written postings.
The incident comes just days after a previous problem. On April 6, the system issued another boil water advisory after a lightning strike damaged electrical component. That advisory was lifted April 9 after water samples tested safe.
The Department of Natural Resources says low water pressure events can pose a risk to water quality, and boil advisories are issued as a precaution. Advisories are lifted only after water samples are confirmed safe.
Records show the water system has faced compliance issues in the past. During its most recent inspection in May 2023, the system was found to be in non-compliance for failing to maintain required documentation. A follow-up letter was issued in August 2023 after the system did not provide requested records.
A review of state records also shows the system has several outstanding monitoring and public notice violations issued over the past two years. The department says it has also addressed two drinking water concerns at the system during that time.
The Department of Natural Resources says customers experiencing issues or concerns can contact its Southeast Regional Office at 573-840-9750 to report any concerns or low-pressure events.
FOX23 reached out to SK&M Water and Sewer Company and will update the story as more information becomes available.
