AREA -- A boil advisory was issued in several communities north of Marshalltown on Wednesday following a pressure loss event.

The incident happened at 7 a.m when an Iowa Regional Utilities Association (IRUA) booster pumping station in northern Marshall County lost communication with the system, resulting in pressure loss.

A large area north of Marshalltown was impacted by the event, including the cities of Liscomb, Conrad and Whitten, affecting approximately 250 service connections. Staff with the IRUA restored normal operating pressure by 8 a.m. and the system was flushed.

The IRUA notified affected residents of the boil advisory via reverse 911, and have posted a map of the impacted area on their website at: irua.net/alerts.html

Officials said there is no reason to believe water quality has been compromised. However, as a precaution, customers are encouraged to boil water that will be consumed or used for food preparation. Water should be boiled for two minutes and allowed to cool before use. The water is safe to use for showering, laundry, general washing and outdoor use without boiling.

Bacteria samples have been collected in the affected area. The boil advisory will be lifted once two consecutive sets of bacterial samples have tested negative for bacteria.