What to do during a boil water advisory

A boil water advisory means germs may have gotten into the water — usually after a main break or a drop in pressure, sometimes after a test found bacteria. Boiling kills them. Here's what to do, based on CDC and EPA guidance. Your water system's own instructions always come first.

How to make water safe

1. Bring water to a full, rolling boil for one minute. At elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for three minutes.
2. Let it cool on its own — don't add ice made from tap water.
3. Store it in clean containers with lids, in the refrigerator if you can.

Can't boil? Use bottled water. As a last resort, clear tap water can be disinfected with plain, unscented household bleach: about 8 drops (⅛ teaspoon) of 6% bleach per gallon, or 6 drops of 8.25% bleach. Stir, and wait 30 minutes before using. Double the bleach if the water is cloudy. Most home water filters do not remove bacteria or viruses.

Use boiled or bottled water for

• Drinking, and drinks made with water — coffee, tea, juice from concentrate
• Cooking, and washing fruit and vegetables
• Brushing teeth
• Making ice — throw out ice made since the advisory began, and turn off the ice maker
• Baby formula — use bottled water, or boiled water that has cooled
• Pets' drinking water

Usually fine with tap water

• Showers and baths, for adults — don't swallow any water. Give babies and young children a sponge bath.
• Washing hands with soap and tap water, unless your water system says otherwise.
• Dishes in a dishwasher with a sanitize setting or a final rinse of at least 150°F. By hand: wash and rinse as usual, then soak for a minute in a gallon of warm water with a teaspoon of unscented bleach, and let them air-dry.
• Laundry, as usual.

Boil water vs. do not drink vs. do not use

When the advisory is lifted

1. Flush your pipes: run every cold tap for a few minutes, until the water runs cold.
2. Ice makers: throw out the ice, then make and discard three batches.
3. Filters, softeners, water heaters: follow the maker's instructions — many filters should be replaced. Your water system may give specific advice.
4. Refrigerator water dispensers and drinking fountains: run them for a few minutes before using.

Who issues these notices?

Your water system — a city, a utility district, a water company — usually with the state's drinking water program. The notice is the authority on who is affected and when it ends. This site gathers those notices into one place and alerts you, but it can be late or miss one: if you've been told directly, follow that.