Boil Order Information

Boil orders are issued by municipal water systems when microorganisms such as those that indicate fecal contamination are found in drinking water. Routine testing is performed to ensure safe water. Boil orders are issued to protect citizen's health and serve as a notice of caution to the public.

Listen to the radio for boil order announcements or check the newspaper to see if a boil order is upcoming due to work on water lines or the flushing of water lines.

 

For Food Establishments

If no water is available for any extended period of time (greater than 1 hour), the facility must cease operation.

If a boil order has been issued:

• cease operations until the boil order has been lifted, OR
• obtain an alternate supply of potable water and/or ice, AND
• follow satisfactory procedures for hand washing, food preparation, equipment cleaning, and sanitation
  • Drinking water - use bottled water only, disconnect water fountains/machines, and post DO NOT DRINK signs
  • Ice - shut off water lines to ice machine and discard ice produced during boil order; obtain ice from unaffected sources, such as commercially packaged ice
  • Beverage machines -machines with direct feed plumbing to the water system must be disconnected or removed from operation
  • Prep sinks -only use bottled or boiled water to wash fruits & vegetables; do not thaw foods under cold, running water
  • Three compartment sinks -fill each compartment with bottled or boiled water and change as often as needed; do not use mechanical dishwashers; eastablishments without a three compartment sink must cease operation
  • Hand washing -water for hand washing must be dispensed from a container with a spigot (ex: an orange Igloo drink cooler); use only bottle or boiled water; hand sanitizer can not be substituted for hand washing for food service personnel
  • Customer service -use single service eating and drinking utensils instead of reusable dishes & utensils if at all possible
  • Cooking -only bottled or boiled water can be used for food prep or pre-prepared foods from approved sources may be used; restrict menu choices if needed
  • Sanitizing solutions -sanitizers must be mixed with potable water
  • Dipper wells -remove utensils and discontinue use
  • Public restrooms -provide hand washing station for each restroom; hand sanitizers can be substituted for the public, but not for employee; portable toilets can be provided
  • Grocery stores -misters in produce departments must be shut off unless they are on a reverse osmosis system
• after the boil order has been lifted
  • run all water lines for one minute to flush the system, this includes are direct feed beverage machines
  • clean & sanitize all fixtures, sinks, and equipment connected to water lines
  • run empty mechanical dishwashers through three complete cycles to flush the lines and clean the inside
  • discard all ice in ice machines; clean & sanitize; run the ice through three cycles and discard ice from each cycle
  • replace all filters on ice machines and beverage machines and flush all water lines for 10-15 minutes

The above guidelines may be modified or altered by the Health Department as necessary

If potable water can not be obtained from tanker trucks or bottled water, boil the water vigorously (bubbling and rolling) for 5 minutes.

 

For Homeowners

Hand washing: use bottled, boiled, or chemically disinfected water to wash hands and brush teeth; it is fine to use the water to wash clothes as long as it is clear and doesn't discolor the clothing

Bathing & showers: the water is safe to shower or bathe in, but take extra caution to not consume it; for bathing infants, using bottled or boiled & cooled water is recommended

Pets: animals are generally not affected the same as people by contaminants; bottled or cooled,boiled water may be given to pets if so chosed

Swimming pools: swimming pools are safe as long as proper levels of treatment are maintained; do not consume swimming pool water

Drinking & cooking water:

• drink bottled water
• use bottled water for infant formula
• shut off automatic ice machines and discard any ice that may be contaminated; make ice from bottled water or purchase ice from a commercial source
• if water from the tap must be used, boil it vigorously for 5 minutes; if boiling cannot be done, add 5 drops of household bleach to 1 gallon of water, mix thoroughly and let stand for 30 minutes (only water that is clean in appearance and free from odor should be treated this way); most water filtration units will not remove contaminants
• do not boil water contaminated with lead or nitrates; boiling does not decrease lead/nitrate level, instead levels will increase from boiling; high nitrate levels can cause "Blue Baby syndrome" in infants & toddlers; high lead levels can cause adverse affects to both children and adults
• dishwashers can not be assured to completely kill all organisms that may be in the water; use disposable cups, plates, bowls, and utensils if safe potable water is in short supply

After the boil order has been lifted:

• flush the water lines at each fixture by allowing the hot & cold water to run for 3-5 minutes
• clean faucets and aerators
• purge water using fixtures and ice machines
• replace or clean filters on faucet filtration systems