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Alert to Private Well Owners in Flooded Areas

By Heather Kretzer

August 09, 2016

Alert to Private Well Owners in Flooded Areas 

Alert to Private Well Owners in Flooded Areas
Public Service Announcement

Contact:
Heather Kretzer
850-872-4455, ext. 1344
heather.kretzer@flhealth.gov

Panama City, Fla. – The Florida Department of Health in Bay County advises private well owners whose drinking water wells are affected by flood waters to take precautions against disease-causing organisms that may make their water unsafe to drink.

 One of the following methods is recommended as a precaution:

  • Use bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula; or
  • Boil water before use, holding it at rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, washing, cooking, etc.; or
  • Disinfect water by adding 8 drops (about 1/8 tsp – this would form a puddle about the size of a dime) of plain unscented household bleach (4 to 6%) per gallon of water, and then let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure. Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination.

 After the flooding subsides:

  • Disinfect your well using the procedures available from the Florida Department of Health in Bay County or provided by the Florida Department of Health at

https://www.floridahealth.gov/healthy-environments/private-well-testing/index.html; and

  • Have your water tested by the Florida Department of Health in Bay County or by a laboratory certified by the State of Florida to perform drinking water analysis for coliform bacteria.
  • Continue to use bottled/boiled/disinfected water until lab tests confirm that it is safe.

About the Florida Department of Health

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts.

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