First: boil water the right way
Bring water to a full rolling boil for at least one minute (three minutes above 2,000 metres / 6,562 feet elevation). Let it cool without adding ice. Boiled water tastes flat because air is driven out of it; shaking the cooled water or pouring it between clean containers restores taste. Keep a pot or kettle of boiled, cooled water in the fridge so nobody is tempted to drink straight from the tap.
Use boiled or bottled water for:
- Drinking, including pets’ water bowls
- Brushing teeth and rinsing after brushing
- Preparing food, washing produce and cooking (boiling food itself for at least one minute also makes it safe)
- Making ice — throw away ice made before or during the advisory
- Baby formula — use boiled and cooled water or ready-to-feed formula
- Giving medication to or mixing drinks for infants, older adults and people with weakened immune systems
Around the house
- Dishes: run the dishwasher only if it has a sanitize cycle or a hot-hold above 70 °C (158 °F); otherwise wash and rinse in boiled water, or use disposable dishes. Hand-washed dishes in soapy water should be rinsed in a boiled-water rinse or air-dried completely.
- Laundry: it is safe to wash clothes in tap water during an advisory.
- Showering and bathing: generally fine for healthy adults who avoid swallowing water (see our dedicated shower guide). Sponge-bathe small children to keep them from swallowing bath water.
- Filters: pitcher, faucet and fridge filters do not remove microbes and can trap them — do not rely on them. After the advisory, replace filter cartridges.
- Water heaters: hot tap water is not a safe substitute — water heaters are usually not hot enough or clean enough to rely on.
Business and childcare essentials
Restaurants, cafés, schools, salons and daycares usually must follow a specific protocol posted by their health department: switch to bottled or boiled water for drinking and food prep, unplug drinking-water fountains, post customer notices, and sometimes shut down ice machines and soda fountain carbonators that connect to the water line. If you operate a business, call your local health department for the exact checklist that applies to your permit.
Bottled water and emergency supply
If boiling is impractical, use commercially bottled water, or disinfect clear water with unscented household bleach: about 2 drops (0.1 mL) per litre, mix, and wait 30 minutes before drinking. Water should smell faintly of bleach. Water-purification tablets and portable filters rated NSF/ANSI 53 or 58 for cyst removal are also options for otherwise healthy adults in a pinch.
FAQ
Can I wash my hands with tap water?
Yes, wash hands as usual with soap and dry them well, then use hand sanitizer after if you want extra protection. For wound care or before medical procedures, use boiled or bottled water.
Can my fridge ice maker keep running?
Turn it off and discard ice made since the advisory started. Sanitize the ice bin after the advisory is lifted and make and discard two or three batches of ice before using it again.