Taking Daily Tasks for Granted
During a boil water alert at home, simple tasks like brushing your teeth, making a pot of coffee, or making lunch become a game of second-guessing. You wonder if you’re taking all the necessary steps to make your water safe from harmful pathogens. Until you are in this situation, you won’t realize how convenient it is to turn on the faucet and have safe, potable water. If you don’t have UV-C water purification installed, take the following precautions:
Personal Hygiene
The CDC states that you can shower and bathe as usualopen_in_new during a boil water advisory, as long as you are careful not to ingest the water. Scrub your hands with soap and water (warm or cold) for 20 seconds and rinse well under running water. Dry hands completely with a towel or air dry them. You should brush your teeth with boiled and cooled water, bottled water, or water from a UV-C disinfection system. Washing clothes can continue as usual.
Food and Beverage Prep
Without a UV-C system, you must throw out any fresh food that you’ve washed with tap water since it could be contaminated. The same goes for beverages like tea, coffee, and any beverage made with tap water or containing ice. You will need to disinfect any preparation surfaces. With an Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® UV-C Water Disinfection system at your home’s point of entry, nothing needs to be thrown out and you can consume food and drinks like normal. See recommended models below.
Washing Dishes
If you have a UV-C water disinfection system installed in your home, you can continue to wash dishes as usual, either by hand or with your dishwasher. Without UV-C, you must follow the following precautions during a boil water alert at home:
By Hand
Wash and rinse as usual. In a separate basin, combine 1 teaspoon of non-scented household bleach with 1 gallon of warm water. Soak the already washed and rinsed dishes in the bowl for 1 minute. Then, let the dishes air dry thoroughly. Be careful to use the right bleach to water ratio and be safe when handling the chemicals.
Using a Dishwasher
In order for disinfection of any pathogens in the water to occur, your dishwasher must have a sanitizing setting or a final rinse cycle that reaches the following temperatures for the lengths of time listed here.
| Minimum of 20 min. at 113°F |
| Minimum of 5 min. at 122°F |
| Minimum of 1 min. at 162°F |
For information on the above routines during a boil water alert at home, visit CDC’s FAQs About Boil Water Advisoriesopen_in_new.
5 UV-C Water Disinfection Product Lines for a Boil Water Alert at Home
Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® features 5 UV-C disinfection lines that are ideal for point-of-entry (POE) or point-of-use (POU) installation in your home. A POE system treats all water entering your house — for drinking, cooking, showering, dishwashing, and clothes washing. POU systems are installed at the sink, water dispenser, or ice maker for more isolated protection. Visit these links to shop models on AtlanticUltraviolet.comopen_in_new:
No matter which model you choose, your water will be safe to consume if you find yourself under a boil water alert at home. Wondering how our products can give such assurance? Read our FAQ: How UV Water Purifiers Work or browse our waterborne disease posts.
Learn More & Shop UV Purifiers for Boil Water Advisories
Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation’s water purifiers are constructed from stainless steel and the highest quality materials, using UV-C lamps to neutralize harmful microorganisms. There are several product lines and various models designed for residential, commercial, and industrial use. Available accessories provide flexibility for virtually any application.
Shop at AtlanticUltraviolet.com
- Shop for Boil Water Alertsopen_in_new
- Shop All UV-C Water & Liquid Disinfectionopen_in_new
- Shop UV-C Air & Surface Disinfectionopen_in_new
- Shop STER-L-RAY® Germicidal UV Lampsopen_in_new
- Shop Safety Productsopen_in_new
Contact Us
- Call (631) 273-0500, Monday – Friday 7am to 6pm EST
- Email Sales@AtlanticUV.com
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