Water customers should not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one minute, and let it cool before using or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, bathing and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
The health department also recommends the following steps:
- Throw away beverages and ice cubes if made with tap water;
- Keep boiled water in the refrigerator for drinking;
- Do not use home filtering devices in place of boiling or using bottled water; most home water filters will not provide adequate protection from microorganisms;
- Use only boiled water to treat minor injuries.
Once the problem has been corrected a Boil Water Lift Notice will be posted and it is then no longer necessary to boil water before consuming. The health department advises:
- flush the water lines at each fixture by allowing the hot & cold water to run for 3-5 minutes
- purge water using fixtures and ice machines (including ice cubes made with tap water that had not been boiled during the boil order)
- replace or clean filters on faucet filtration systems
