What to do when there’s a boil alert

We’ve all heard these words: “City officials have issued a “boil alert.” But what does it mean, and what should you do about it?

What is a Boil Water Advisory?

A boil water advisory, or boil order, can be issued in emergencies should the local water supply become contaminated with germs that can cause illness, disease, or possibly death. Natural disasters, chemical spills, flooding, or pipe breakage can cause a boil advisory. Boil orders are usually issued with a drop in water pressure below 20 psi because low pressure can allow bacteria to backwash into the pipes.

When there’s a boil water advisory (BWA), it’s imperative that you only drink boiled water instead of water from the tap. Boiling water will eliminate disease-causing microorganisms and keep you safe. Other options are bottled water or water coolers with reverse osmosis and UV technology.

Let’s Explore the Options:

Boiling Water: To kill harmful microorganisms, bring the water to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute (longer doesn’t hurt). Remove from the heat and allow the water to cool naturally. Then, store the clean water in a clean, covered container. Boiling water effectively removes bacteria and viruses but will not eliminate other contaminants like heavy metals, salts, and chemicals.

Bottled Water: Drinking water from plastic bottles brings risks, but it’s far safer than drinking contaminated water with bacteria and viruses. The advantages of bottled water are it can be convenient, and you can store it in your home or take it with you. Usually, during a health warning, bottled water can become in limited supply.

Reverse Osmosis: RO is one of the most effective forms of water filtration because, unlike chemical or carbon filtration systems, which use specific materials to attract or directly target the contaminants, RO pushes water through a microscopically small filter material. This semi-permeable membrane has a pore size of around 0.0001 microns, effectively only allowing the small water molecules through and catching any larger contaminants, organic materials, or salt molecules. Initially designed to desalinate seawater and reduce high chemical contaminant materials such as heavy metals, RO is used in many government, commercial, military, and residential applications. You do not have to boil water if your RO system is operating correctly and serviced regularly.

UV Purification: LED UV is the safest method to purify water during a BWA. Ultraviolet light (UV) disrupts the DNA of microorganisms, rendering them unable to reproduce or function. This will altogether eliminate any bacteria or viral threat passed by the organism. According to experts, UV purification is one of the most effective methods of filtering microbiological unsafe water.

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long should I boil my water to make sure it’s safe? 1 to 3 minutes of a rolling boil.

My refrigerator has a filter; is it safe to drink the water from it? No. Most water filters (activated carbon, charcoal, pitcher filters, etc.) are suitable for microbiologically unsafe water and will not kill bacteria or viruses.

Do I need to boil my water if it’s filtered? You need to boil your water unless you are using a high-quality filtration system with reverse osmosis or UV purification.

When the boil water order is over, what next?

There are several steps to flushing water pipes and water systems at home and work.

Discard all water and ice: Throw away all ice cubes and water (including drinks) prepared with water made during the advisory day—empty coffee and tea kettles and ice makers with water storage.

Flush all hot water taps: Start at the highest level of your home or business. Don’t forget to flush all hot water taps, including baths and showers, for at least 5 minutes.

Flush all cold water taps: Like hot water, start at the highest level and flush all cold taps, including sinks, toilets, wet bars, and utility sinks. Don’t forget to flush the refrigerator’s water dispensing system as well.

Flush all appliances: Flush all outside hose bibs and external faucets, even if you don’t drink them (they may be used for animal water dishes). For any other devices in your home, like CPAP machines, humidifiers, etc, check with your owner’s manuals or contact your medical suppliers. Run your dishwasher empty through the bleach cycle. Optional but recommended: Run a bleach cycle through your washing machine.

Replace all filters: After all pipes have been flushed, you must replace your filters. Sediment filters for whole house filtration, reverse osmosis filters, membranes (if the boil alert lasts longer than a day), refrigerators, and other device filters that have come in contact with contaminated water.

    What is your current water system?

    What system are you interested in trying?

    Sources:

    Culligan Water – Link

    Fresh Water Systems – Link