DRINKING WATER SAFETY

Residents urged to not use water if wells are flooded

(Salisbury, Maryland) - Residents are urged to not use well water if their yard is flooded.  People who rely on private wells for their water should consider their well contaminated if it is submerged during Hurricane Sandy.  If the septic system has been flooded, sewage can back up into the home.  This is more than just a serious nuisance.  Sewage contains disease causing microorganisms that can make you sick.  If there is an electrical outage, septic systems utilizing pumps will not function.  A continued use of water in the home could lead to a sewage backup.  Water usages in the home should be held to a minimum until the electrical power is restored. 

Water used for drinking, brushing teeth, cooking or preparing food should be either bottled water or water that has been boiled. Bring water to a rolling boil for at least 3 minutes.  You can add household chlorine bleach to your water to disinfect it.  Do not use bleach with fragrances or detergents. Add 8 drops of 5.25% sodium hypochlorite (household bleach) per gallon of water and allow it to sit for 30 minutes before using it. 

For more hurricane safety tips, go to www.wicomicohealth.org.