Residents of Estherville, IA had a rude awakening Saturday morning when a water main leak led to a drinking water advisory for an area west of the Des Moines River, south of Highway 9, east of Grandview Drive and north of and including Park Road.

Officials from the City of Estherville Water Supply have advised residents in the affected area to boil their water before drinking or cooking or use an alternate source. It is recommended not to drink the water without boiling it.

The advisory will remain in effect until the Water Supply is able to adequately disinfect the water, flush the system, and take sample tests to verify that the water is safe to drink.