TAYLOR COUNTY, Fla. — People living in homes with private wells affected by recent floods in Taylor County are being urged to take precautions against disease-causing organisms that may make their water unsafe to drink.
The Florida Department of Health in Taylor County (DOH-Taylor) is advising people living in homes with private wells affected by flood waters to take precautions against disease-causing organisms that may make their water unsafe to drink.
DOH-Taylor recommends ONE of the following:
- Boil tap water and hold it at rolling boil for at least one minute. Let it cool before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, cooking, or washing dishes.
- Disinfect tap water by adding eight drops of plain unscented household bleach (four to six percent strength), which is about one eighth teaspoon or a dime sized puddle, per gallon of water. If a higher strength bleach is used (8.25% strength), only add seven drops of bleach. Mix the solution and let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure once.
Note: Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water for drinking. This will prevent contamination. In addition, containers for water should be rinsed with a bleach solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon of water before reusing them.
- Use commercially-available bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.
After the flooding subsides:
- Disinfect your private well using the procedures available from DOH-Taylor or visit the Florida Department of Health website:www.FloridaHealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/index.html. You may also visit the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (US EPA) website for instructions: http://water.epa.gov/drink/info/well/whatdo.cfm.
- To know if your water is safe, have your water tested by a certified laboratory for coliform bacteria if available.
To find a certified laboratory, visit the following website: http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/private-well-testing/index.html
