bacteria in our drinking water

[pkellyc]

Our city found bacteria in our drinking water today. I know we need to drink bottled water and boil all other water for 15 minutes before we use it. They have not said if is safe to shower, run the dishwasher, laundry or anything else. Does anyone know? This has never happened here before. I don't know what kind of bacteria it is they are not saying. Sponge baths with boiled water for now. Not sure if the dishwasher disenfects the water or not. If I put a small amount of bleach in a dishpan and do them by hand will that kill any bacteria in it? Not sure what to think.

[forestdale]

It could be anything in your water. You need to contact your local health authority. Do they have a website? If so, the information might be there. If not, phone them and ask if it's safe to shower or use the dishwasher.

They might also be able to tell you how long you'll have to do it for. Good luck. It's horrible having problems with your water supply.

[pita1213]

yep the water company is going to be the only one to really answer your questions. if it's aquarian, they are usually pretty good about customer service so if you are on hold for a bit, it's most likely because everyone else is calling and asking questions too.

[canadian gardener]

For now use the high heat dry cycle and the temp boost on your dishwasher. It will be ok with that.

Boil drinking water, and water to brush teeth or wash raw veggies.

Use a hot water wash, cold rinse and dry in sunlight or in a hot dryer.

That will take care of it unless there is like a 15 minutes boiling alert which is the worst.

Here in Kamloops up till this year (finally got water treatment) we have had a boil advisory for years, just the minutes change depending on the amount of cloudiness called turbidity in the water, and what the locals here jokingly call the dead cow index which is the number of dead cattle you see floating drowned down the river in the spring time.

We have a lot of agricultural runoff (cow sewage-- equals e coli) plus 3 different parasites.

We could always shower or bathe IF YOU DON"T HAVE ANY OPEN WOUNDS OR BLISTERS OR OPEN AREAS ON YOUR SKIN, but you don't want to swallow any water or inhale too much steam or spray and that goes double when the alert changes upwards from the 5 minute boil advisory.

If you have a compromised immune system, are very young or very old, or have any open areas, you don't bathe in raw water. Cook it first.

Or alternatively put a couple of tbsp of bleach in the bathwater first and let it sit for 15 minutes to kind of kill off the bacteria.

that is hard on the skin long term so check with the local health unit.

[UPSyours2]

http://www.steripen.com/pgs/products.html

I saw this on I WANT THAT on HGTV

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_personal...923983,00.html


I know that's not going to help you now

SteriPEN™ purifies water using Ultraviolet (UV) light. Whether your source is a clear running brook or a hotel tap, SteriPEN™ destroys viruses, bacteria and protozoa–including Giardia and Cryptosporidium in seconds.

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~ANDREA~

[canadian gardener]

oh and throw a little bleach in every washload that can handle it, to keep things pure. Not a lot, you aren't trying to bleach it, just sanitize.

[megsy]

Or get a water tank. And don't add anything to it.
We have tank water only in six years we've never added anything to it and have never been sick.
Pure crystal clear water.

[UPSyours2]

http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oemergencypurifycalc.html

Emergency Water Purification Calculator

This calculator requires the use of Javascript enabled and capable browsers. In an emergency, to purify drinking water, two methods are most often used. They are boiling the water and adding chlorine (household bleach, such as Chlorox) to it. This calculator determines the quantity of bleach and water mixture to meet the desired emergency water purification mixture, based on the condition of the target water. Most emergency experts and health officials suggest a mixture of 8 drops of bleach to a gallon of generally clear water for best results. Based on environment or cloudiness of the water, you may want to change the quantity of drops to 16 per gallon of cloudy or murky water. Enter the maximum possible volume of water container. The entry should be in gallons. Enter the desired drops of the bleach per gallon and select the appropriate water condition from the drop down box. Click on Calculate and read the calculated result in drops that should be added to the volume of water specified. Please remember that this is a guideline.

As suggested by the EPA, vigorous boiling for at least one minute (preferably more) will kill any disease causing microorganisms present in water (at altitudes above 5000 feet above sea level, boil for three to five minutes longer). The flat taste of boiled water can be improved by pouring it back and forth from one container to another (called aeration), by allowing it to stand in a closed container for a few hours, or by adding a small pinch of salt for each quart of water boiled. When boiling is not practical, chemical disinfection should be used. Common household bleach contains a chlorine compound that will disinfect water. The treated water should be mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand, preferably covered, for 30 minutes. The water should have a slight chlorine odor; if not, repeat the dosage and allow the water to stand for an additional 15 minutes. If the treated water has too strong a chlorine taste, it can be made more pleasing by allowing the water to stand exposed to the air for a few hours or by pouring it from one clean container to another several times.

As suggested by Chlorox (with their permission), this is an excerpt from company published documents.

Boiling Is Best
Short of using a very high-quality water filter, this is the most reliable method for killing microbes and parasites. Bring water to a rolling boil and keep it simmering for at least several minutes. Add one minute of boiling to the initial 10 minutes for every 1,000 feet above sea level. Cover the pot to shorten boiling time and conserve fuel.

Liquid Clorox Bleach
In an emergency, think of this (one gallon of Regular Clorox Bleach) as 3,800 gallons of drinking water.

When the tap water stops flowing, Regular Clorox Bleach isn't just a laundry-aid, it's a lifesaver. Use it to purify water, and you'll have something to drink.

It's the same in any natural disaster. As the shock wears off and the days wear on, the biggest demand is for drinking water. Time after time, relief crews hand out free Clorox Bleach with simple instructions: use it to kill bacteria in your water and you'll have purified water to drink. Here are the general guidelines.

First let water stand until particles settle. Filter the particles if necessary with layers of cloth, coffee filters, or fine paper towels. Pour the clear water into an uncontaminated container and add Regular Clorox Bleach per the below indicated ratio. Mix well. Wait 30 min. Water should have a slight bleach odor. If not, repeat dose. Wait 15 min. Sniff again. Keep an eyedropper taped to your emergency bottle of Clorox Bleach, since purifying small amounts of water requires only a few drops. Bleach must be fresh for best use and results. See below suggestions for storage bottle replacement.

Don't pour purified water into contaminated containers. Sanitize water jugs first.

Without water and electricity, even everyday tasks are tough. In lieu of steaming hot water, sanitize dishes, pots and utensils with a little Clorox Bleach. Just follow the directions below to keep dishes clean.

Whether you use Clorox Bleach in an emergency or for everyday chores, it's always an environmentally sound choice. After its work is done, Clorox Bleach breaks down to little more than salt and water, which is acceptable anytime.

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification

2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water
If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.

Only use Regular Clorox Bleach (not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, rotate or replace your storage bottle minimally every three months.

Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution

To sanitize containers and utensils, mix 1 tablespoon Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water. Always wash and rinse items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for 2 minutes. Drain and air dry.

http://www.rense.com/general2/watrpur.htm

Water Purification Using
Clorox Bleach - New Information
From Red Cross

Information for anyone who responds to inquiries about water treatment after disasters:

The Red Cross National Headquarters has received inquiries from the public about the fact that the Clorox Company is introducing a new product, "Clorox Ultra", which increases the concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite from 5-1/4% to 6%, and adds Sodium Hydroxide to the mix, which has not been in Clorox before. I contacted the Clorox Company for an explanation. Their explanation follows.

Yes, it is true that Clorox is changing the concentration of its regular household laundry bleach from having a 5-1/4% concentration of Sodium Hypochlorite to 6%, and that they have added Sodium Hydroxide to the formula. They are doing this to reduce the size of the containers and in response to market research. They are introducing "Clorox Ultra" slowly across the country, starting in the West and Midwest. It will be on the East Coast by fall. They will completely eliminate offering the "old" Clorox bleach upon introduction of the "new" Clorox Ultra.

However, the Clorox representative stated that the new formula has been tested and is safe to use to treat water at home. The only reason why it has not been approved by the EPA for use is simply that the company has not completed that process yet. (It takes a long, long time for all that paperwork.)

The recommendation to use for water treatment remains the same:

1. Filter out/remove any solid impurities.

2. Add 16 drops of the bleach per gallon of water and stir. This is the same recommendation for either the 5-1/4% or 6% concentration.

3. Let stand 30 minutes.

4. If it smells slightly of chlorine, you can use it.

5. If it does not smell of chlorine, add another 16 drops and wait another 30 minutes.

6. If it still does not smell of chlorine after two doses, discard it and find other water.

If you have further questions or individuals who contact you with technical questions about Clorox Bleach that you can't answer, let me know, and I can give you the name/number of the Clorox representative to refer these people to.

Sincerely,

Rocky Lopes Community Disaster Education American Red Cross National Headquarters

http://www.clorox.com/solutions_reg_bleach.html

To kill bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus (staph)/ Klebsiella pneumoniae] in laundry, add ¾ cup of Clorox® Regular-Bleach to a standard size washer following the laundry use directions.

Please note: Bleach solutions need to be made fresh daily. Once diluted, bleach breaks down quickly - mainly into salt and water. Many spray bottles contain metal parts in the trigger spray. Bleach will corrode these parts over time. Bleach is an irritant and using bleach in a spray bottle can be very irritating to some especially those individuals with chronic respiratory or heart conditions.

~ANDREA~

[Darlene]

Great info above. Like to add~ I'd hold off on laundry, the water might stain your clothing.

[pkellyc]

Thank you for all the advice, our water is safe now but what a butcher job our city did. They knew there was something wrong with it 3 days before they told us. They flushed the water system with chlorine and cleaned it up. As some of you know my dh is sick and has been on chemo on and off for awhile now. Hepititis A could and would kill him. What a scare they gave me. They still have not said what exactly was in the water to begin with, they did say there was no e coli. Rumor is some kind of sewage. I have not felt clean in 2 days. YUCK! Could not get through to the water company at all. The news said very little except not to drink the water or brush your teeth in it . They did say later on that we could bathe. I did no laundry and ate out last night so there were not too many dishes, I ended up washing what I did have in the boiled water. I am glad it is over so quickly. People did start to panic we could not find any bottled water in our grocery stores, we had to leave the city to get some. I went to a picnic today and someone there had bought 10 cases of water last night, that's 60 gallons of water no wonder the stores were cleaned out.

So thank you and thank you again. If it happens again I will know exactly what to do to keep my family safe.

[canadian gardener]

oh hugs honey!!! Keep a case of bottled water just for dh's use in emergencies maybe. They didn't tell you in case of law suits but you may be able to find out from a neighboring health unit just what the bacteria or parasite was.

A little trick I did (oh and we put in an RO filter at the kitchen sink for safe drinking water) that may help you and dh is this.

I always (even now) keep a FULL electric kettle (I have one of the TFAL kind with the auto shut off)

and I routinely fill and boil it early, then as I take water out for drinking, I refill and boil again so I ALWAYS have water that is freshly boiled, a full jug. Our city is prone to shutting off water without much notice so I learnt to do this.

Keep some in the fridge, and use it to fill the ice cube trays. That way you just pour the warm boiled water over ice cubes or use fridge boiled if your dh wants it cold.