A boil water advisory can throw a wrench in your day, but it helps to keep you and your family healthy. We all want to avoid harmful water, but what does a boil water advisory mean?
Simply put, these crucial but inconvenient notices warn you when there may be contaminants in your tap water. In this blog, we tackle the ins and outs of a boil water advisory and help you navigate it safely.
What does a boil water advisory mean?
When the water supply is contaminated, your local government or utility company will quickly issue a boil water advisory. This means you shouldn’t drink or consume tap water unless it has been boiled until the advisory is lifted.
Every advisory is unique, and there will usually be specific information about the cause of concern.
Common contamination concerns can come from:
- High levels of bacteria found in the water
- Equipment failure at the water facility
- Virus or parasite contamination
- Water treatment chemical levels
- Detection of heavy metals
Why is there a boil water advisory?
Nobody wants to drink contaminated water, but what is a boil water advisory warning us about?
A variety of problems can lead to a boil water advisory, including:
- Contamination: Tap water is tested regularly for quality and evidence of contaminants. When treated water shows a high level of bacteria, chemicals, heavy metals, or dangerous contaminants, a boil water advisory will be issued.
- Water line breaks: When a main water line breaks, repairs can introduce dirt and debris into the pipeline. Once the pipe is functional again, an advisory will be necessary for a period of time.
- Equipment failure: All equipment can fail sometimes, including the sophisticated machines we use to treat water. When an unexpected failure occurs, the utility company will issue an advisory.
- Scheduled water treatment: In some areas, water treatments using a high level of chemicals are scheduled to help keep the system clean. During these days of expected high chemical levels, the local authority will issue a boil water advisory in advance.
- Natural disasters: Hurricanes, sudden rainfall, tornadoes, and blizzards can all wreak havoc on water treatment plants.
- Power failure: Many water facilities have generators to use during a power blip, but in the case of a major power event, water treatment cannot continue. When a plant regains power after an extended issue, a boil water advisory is likely.
What to do when you are under a boil water advisory?
When you boil water for safe drinking, it must reach the correct temperature long enough to be effective. Continue boiling water for more than two minutes before cooling and storing it in clean, sealed containers.
Bottled water is a convenient alternative during boil water advisories.
You can easily consume tap water without thinking, so remember to use boiled or bottled water for these easy-to-forget everyday tasks:
- Washing produce and salads
- Brushing teeth
- Washing dishes
- Soaking dentures
- Cleaning wounds
How long does a boil water advisory last
Advisories will vary in length, depending on the cause of the problem. Issues can last from a few hours up to several weeks.
The time it takes to restore your clean water supply can depend on:
- The extent of repairs required
- Parts needed for broken equipment
- Re-testing procedures for healthy water
- Water treatment time
How do you know when a boil water advisory is over?
Pre-arranged advisories for scheduled maintenance will sometimes provide dates in advance of work. For unexpected issues, waiting for official news is crucial during a boil water advisory.
Your local authorities or utility company will confirm when your water is safe to consume.
What to do after a boil water advisory is lifted?
When the advisory is lifted, you can breathe a sigh of relief. But there will still be work to do before safely consuming your tap water again.
Water and contaminants can remain in your plumbing, so follow the following steps after your advisory ends:
- Flushing: Run water through your faucets and showers for several minutes each. If your home has more than one level, start at the top whenever possible. Flush your toilets, and remember to include any outdoor spigots or garage sinks during this flushing phase.
- Cleaning: Remove any aerators from faucets and thoroughly clean them by soaking with bleach. An aerator has a lot of tiny potential spaces for bacteria to hide, so complete cleaning is crucial for healthy water. Give toilets a good scrub with bacteria-killing cleaning products to ensure no contaminants have stuck around.
- Backwash or replace your shower filter cartridge: A high-quality AquaBliss shower filter reduces high levels of Chlorine by 97%+, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, controls lime scale buildup, dirt, and bad odors, but it cannot remove dangerous bacteria. Backwashing your filter cartridge removes any excess build-up, but replacing the filter cartridge ensures the healthiest reset after your advisory lifts.
- Refresh the ice bin: Dump any ice made while the advisory was in place. Continue to dispose of ice created for an extra 24 hours to make sure no contaminants remain in the system. Wash and clean out your ice bin before using your ice again.
Is it safe to shower during a boil water advisory?
During a boil water advisory, showers can generally be used for washing as long as water is not swallowed or used near the eyes and nose.
Vulnerable populations, including the elderly, children, immunocompromised people, and anyone with an open wound, should avoid bathing in tap water during a boil water advisory.
Can shower filters help during a boil water advisory?
An AquaBliss shower filter improves the quality of your tap water, but it cannot remove dangerous contaminants during a boil water advisory. If the advisory is issued due to dirt and debris in the water, a filter cartridge can clog, making it tough to filter your water when the advisory is lifted.
Backwashing your cartridge or replacing it after an advisory is an important step to keep your filter in good shape. When your tap water is back to normal, it still contains deposits that can affect your overall health.
Your AquaBliss shower filter can reduce mineral deposits in your water, protecting your skin, hair, and lungs from irritation.
What happens if you drink water under a boil advisory?
Drinking water during an advisory can expose you to harmful bacteria, pathogens, chemicals, and heavy metals. An advisory will only be issued when there is a concern with your water.
To stay safe and keep your family healthy, always follow the guidance of your local government and utility company.
How to stay informed about boil water advisories?
Some boil water warnings will be scheduled due to maintenance. Other advisories will be sudden, a reaction to a test result or pipeline failure.
To stay up-to-date about water advisories and get the latest news on other local issues, keep in touch with your community by:
- Watching local news
- Paying attention to mobile alerts
- Checking government websites
- Engaging with community groups on social media
- Accessing your local water quality report online
Stay prepared for future advisories
Good preparation can make a problem like a boil water advisory a lot easier to deal with.
To stay ready for future issues, consider keeping the following on hand:
- A supply of bottled drinking water
- Water purification tablets
- Large pots for boiling
- Replacement cartridges for your AquaBliss shower filter
- A plan for vulnerable family members to bathe elsewhere
Final Thoughts
AquaBliss shower filters can protect your family from the mineral deposits in tap water, but boil water advisories indicate when dangerous contaminants could be present.
Follow the advice of your local government and make sure you boil all water for more than two minutes during your advisory. Keeping some bottled water on hand can help you stay prepared for unexpected water issues, and always remember that brushing your teeth and washing your food counts as consuming water!
After flushing your faucets and cleaning your home when the advisory is lifted, your AquaBliss shower filter cartridge will be ready for a change. Let AquaBliss protect you from mineral levels in your daily tap water and feel the difference with every shower!
