Drinking Water Safety

What You Need to Know 

• Severe storms can contaminate the public water supply.  

• • This is more common in storms with tidal surges or flooding.  

• Drinking contaminated water is unsafe and may cause illness.   

• After a severe storm or other emergency, people shouldn’t assume that their tap water is safe to use. 

• People should follow instructions from local authorities to boil their water before drinking, making ice, cooking, and other reasons.  

 Boil Water Advisory 

• People under a boil water advisory should boil water at a rolling boil for one minute. This will kill any disease-causing microorganisms present in the water.  

• • The “flat” taste of boiled water can be improved by pouring it back and forth from one clean container into another (aeration), by allowing it to stand for a few hours, or by adding a pinch of salt for each quart of water boiled. 

• • Drinking bottled water is also an option for people whose water is contaminated. 

• If you can’t boil water, add six drops of recently purchased, unscented liquid household bleach per gallon of clear water (double the number of drops for cloudy water), stir it well, and then let the water stand for 30 minutes before you use it.
  • You also can use water-purifying tablets from your local pharmacy or sporting goods store.
  • Note that using bleach or tablets may not kill some disease-causing microorganisms. 

• People who are under a boil water advisory who have weakened immune systems, including those who are on chemotherapy or are HIV positive, should be extremely cautious and consume only commercial bottled water. 

• In the event of flooding near a private well, assume that the well water is contaminated until it can be tested for safety. 

• For more information, please visit: Boil Water FAQs