Boil Water Advisory: Water Safety Information for Community Members

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 your teeth using boiled water or commercially bottled water.

  • Do not use tap water that you have not boiled first.

Washing Dishes

• If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory.

• Sanitize all baby bottles.

• Dishwashers are generally safe to use if they have a sanitizing cycle or reach a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F (66°C). Check the manual or contact the manufacturer to find out what temperature your dishwater reaches.

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 before using them again.

Laundry

• It is safe to wash your clothes as you would normally.

Cleaning

• Clean washable toys and surfaces with:

  • Commercially bottled water,

  • Boiled water, or

  • Water that has been disinfected with bleach

Caring for pets

• Give pets commercially bottled water or boiled water that has cooled.

• Pets can get sick from some of the same germs as people or spread germs to people.

To learn more visit: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency | Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH)-related Emergencies and Outbreaks | CDC