A boil water advisory is issued when tap water may not be safe to drink.
What should you do during a boil water advisory?
A boil water advisory means that people who take their water from the municipal system should NOT use it for:
- drinking
- making juice, infant formula, or ice
- cooking
- washing uncooked fruit and vegetables
- brushing your teeth
For these purposes, boiled water should be used. Boil your water to a rolling boil for at least one minute prior to use. Or, water from an alternate source, such as bottled water, should be used.
The water can be used for laundry and bathing (excluding small children who could swallow the water).
What should you do after a boil water advisory is lifted?
- run cold water faucets for one minute before using the water
- run drinking fountains for one minute before using the water
- flush all garden hoses by running cold water through them for one minute
- run water softeners through a regeneration cycle
- replace carbon filters as these may harbour bacteria
- drain and refill hot water heaters set below 45ºC (normal setting is 60ºC)