KANSAS CITY - Record flooding along the Missouri River has impaired the treatment of drinking supplies in Kansas City, raising health risks for infants, the elderly and others with compromised immune systems, the municipal water service warned on Saturday .
Miles of farmland and wooded areas along both banks were inundated in murky brown water. It was expected to reach Kansas City, Missouri, the state's largest municipality, early on Sunday. Charles B Wheeler Downtown Airport, situated on a river bend behind a tall levee in the heart of Kansas City, Missouri, expected no flood-related disruptions, an airport official said.
KC Water spokeswoman Brooke Givens said Cryptosporidium itself has not been detected, but"the state requires us to notify customers" whenever testing shows the treatment system's filters are failing to control turbidity. KC Water said the diminished water quality was not considered an emergency but advised customers with compromised immune systems, the elderly and those with infants to seek medical advice before drinking tap water.
US President Donald Trump declared a major disaster on Saturday for 56 Iowa counties, making federal recovery assistance immediately available. He issued a similar declaration on Thursday for Nebraska.