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Devastation after eruption of Mt. St. Helens, 1980 |
Safe drinking water is essential to preserve life and avoid sickness. A disaster such as a flood or earthquake may cause contamination of your water supply with raw sewage or toxic chemicals. If there is any chance of your water being contaminated, do not drink it, use it for food preparation or use it in any way that may put your life at risk.
- Contaminated water can cause many serious illnesses.
- Use only purified water or water stored for an emergency until your normal water supply is safe.
The American Red Cross gives the following tips for emergency storage and purification:
Tap Water
- Store water in clean plastic containers such as soft drink bottles with tight-fitting screw caps.
- Do not use milk bottles - they do not seal well.
- Use all stored water within six months.
Well or Spring Water (Untreated)
- Store water in clean plastic containers such as soft drink bottles with tight-fitting screw caps.
- Do not use milk bottles.
- Add 16 drops of liquid chlorine bleach (a full 1/8 tsp., or slightly less than 1 ml) per gallon of water
- Use bleach with active ingredient of only 5.25% sodium hypochlorite; no added soap or fragrances.
- Use all stored water within six months.
Commercial "Spring" or Bottled Drinking Water
- Keep the water in its original sealed container.
- Once the bottle has been opened and used, do not store it further.
After a flood
Emergency Drinking Water Supplies
Drinking water contaminated by floodwater may carry microorganisms capable of producing illness. Do not use a water supply that has been affected by the flood until public health authorities have determined it is safe. It may take time to determine if the water is safe. Cleaning or purifying water supplies will be difficult or impossible to accomplish until floodwaters have receded.
- If you have public water, ask your local water district or company whether your water is safe to drink. If in doubt, boil all drinking water for 3-5 minutes before use.
- Boil water from private water systems that have been flooded for 3-5 minutes before use.
- Treat water used for brushing teeth, washing dishes or used to cook or prepare food in the same manner.
Cleaning a Private Well
Pump the well until water runs clear, then disinfect in this way:
- Roughly calculate the number of gallons in the well (a six-inch diameter well casing has 1.5 gallons per foot of water).
- Put liquid household bleach (5.25% chlorine) into the well (three cups per 100 gallons of water).
- If possible, mix bleach in the well by placing a hose into the top of the well casing and recirculate the treated water by connecting the hose to a faucet on the discharge side of the pressure tank.
- Start the pump. Spray the water back into the well and wash the sides of the casing for at least 15 minutes.
- Open every faucet in the system and let the water run until the smell of chlorine can be detected. Then close all faucets and let stand for several hours, preferably overnight.
- After this time period, operate the pump by turning on all faucets, continuing until the odor of chlorine has disappeared.
Cleaning Your Home
Cleaning and disinfecting your home after a flood will help prevent the spread of disease and restore its livability. The Red Cross and other organizations often distribute clean-up kits after a disaster.
Cleaning Supplies Checklist
- Brooms, mops, rags, brushes, sponges, wet vacuums
- Buckets, garden hose, rubber gloves
- Cleaning products, disinfectants
- Lubricating oil, trash bags, fans or dryers
Cleaning Products
You can use most household cleaning products. Clean one area at a time.
- Read the label for safe and proper use of the product. Some products cannot be used on certain materials or surfaces.
- Use a two-bucket approach; one bucket for cleaning solutions and the other for rinse water.
- Rinse out your mop, sponge or rag in the rinse bucket. Replace the rinse water often.
- After cleaning, use a disinfectant to kill germs and neutralize odors.
Disinfectants
You can use commercial disinfectants or you can make your own disinfectant by adding 1/4 cup of liquid household bleach (such as Clorox or Purex) to a gallon of water.
- If you buy a disinfectant, you must follow the product label instructions exactly for the disinfectant to work.
- Never mix bleach with any cleaning products; mixing can create toxic gases.
- Empty buckets after each use.
Drying
- Ventilating wet spaces aids in drying.
- All windows and doors should be opened, and fans and heaters used to speed drying.
- When drying machines are available, windows and doors should be closed and drying machines vented to the outdoors.
Warning: Drowning Hazard
Do not leave cleaning buckets containing even small amounts of liquids unattended near children. Young children can drown in very small amounts of water.
Disaster Safety Fact Sheets
- Emergency Water Supply Guidelines (for food service establishments) (PDF - 35K)
- Keep Food Safe During Power Outages (PDF - 385K)
- Handling Flood-Damaged Foods (PDF - 28K)
- Septic Systems After a Flood or Power Outage (PDF - 19K)
- What to Do if You Have Flooding in Your Home - Department of Health fact sheet
For more information, call Public Health at (360) 397-8428.
