Boil Notice FAQ

Water for drinking or other human consumption should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

Tips for boiling water:

• Fill a pot with water.
• Heat the water until bubbles come from the bottom of the pot to the top. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Turn off the heat source and let the water cool
• Pour the water into a clean container with a cover for storage.

Suggestions for different types of water use:

• Preparing and cooking food
  • Wash all fruits and vegetables with boiled water that has cooled or with bottled water.
  • Bring water to a rolling boil for 2 minutes before adding food to cook.
  • Use boiled water when preparing drinks, such as coffee, tea, and lemonade
  • Wash food preparation surfaces with boiled water.
• Feeding babies and using formula
  • Use ready-to-use baby formula, if possible.
  • Prepare powdered or concentrated baby formula with bottled water. Use boiled water if you do not have bottled water. Disinfect water for baby formula if you cannot boil your water.
  • Wash and sterilize bottles and nipples before use.
  • If you cannot sterilize bottles, try to use single-serve, ready-to-feed bottles.
• Ice making
  • Do not use ice from ice trays, ice dispensers, or ice makers. Throw out all ice made with tap water.
  • Make new ice with boiled or bottled water.
• Bathing and showering
  • Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering. 
  • Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
• Brushing teeth
  • Brush teeth with boiled or bottled water. Do not use untreated tap water.
• Washing dishes
  • Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees or if the dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle.
  • To wash dishes by hand:
    • Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
    • In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
    • Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute. 
    • Let the dishes air dry completely.
• Laundry
  • It is safe to do laundry as usual.
• Pets
  • Pets can get some of the same diseases as people. It is a good idea to give them boiled water that has been cooled. 
• Water filters
  • Boil tap water even if it is filtered. Most kitchen and other household water filters typically do not remove bacteria or viruses.

FAQ

Q1: I live/work in the affected area and accidentally consumed water before learning about the boil notice. Now what?

A1: Until test results show the water is safe to drink, you should not drink the water without boiling it first. Chances are that you will be fine, especially if you are in good health-- you probably will not get sick from drinking the water. However, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems should not drink the water until it is deemed safe to drink and should be watched closely if they accidentally ingest it. Symptoms of illness caused by bacteria in the water may include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. Please note that these symptoms are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you accidentally ingest water and you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice from your doctor.

Additional Water Advisory Resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/drinking-water-advisories-an-overview.html