Experts warn of sewage, E. coli in Missouri River. Flooding could make quality worse

However, his department still advises the public against entering the water recreationally until flood conditions have subsided.

How can I stay safe from Missouri River contamination?

For now, experts advise that residents not enter the Missouri River until the contamination has been cleared out.

Stiles noted that he doesn’t expect many boaters or anglers out on the Missouri this week anyway, due to the high water levels and rapid flow rate caused by upstream flooding. But if you do enter the water, a small splash on your skin likely won’t have a negative effect. The risk of illness increases when you ingest or submerge yourself in the water.

“It’s just common sense — you’re in the open environment, afterwards you practice good hygiene, you shower, you basically just clean yourself up, and (there’s) no risk to yourself,” he said.

He also advised residents not to let their pets wade in the river — even if they don’t drink any of the water, they could still consume the bacteria when cleaning themselves later.

Stiles also noted that residents shouldn’t be worried about the quality of local drinking water. E. coli is easily treated with disinfectants, and water treatment facilities on both sides of the state line are well-equipped to handle this type of contamination, he said.

When will the Missouri River’s water quality improve?

We don’t know yet exactly when the advisories will be lifted — it all depends on when water treatment systems upstream are restored.

Stiles said that plants in Iowa are still experiencing bypasses as of Tuesday. And while wastewater treatment in Omaha is mostly restored, some smaller local water systems in Nebraska are still experiencing the impacts of last week’s flooding as well.

Flood conditions are also expected in the metro area in the coming days. On Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service issued flood warnings in areas along the banks of the Missouri River.

Incoming rain will likely wash more contaminants into the river, potentially causing poor water quality to continue even after plants in Nebraska and Iowa are restored. The KDHE will announce when its advisory for the river officially lifts.

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