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.
Personal Hygiene
The CDC states that you can shower and bathe as usual* 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, nothing needs to be thrown out and you can consume food and drinks like normal.
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:
Washing Dishes 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 and recommended by the CDC.
| Minimum of 20 min. at 113°F |
| Minimum of 5 min. at 122°F |
| Minimum of 1 min. at 162°F |
5 UV-C Water Disinfection Product Lines from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation®
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. Standard and optional safety features alert you if a malfunction occurs. Your water is safe to consume, no matter how frequently you find yourself under a Boil Water Alert at home.
SANITRON® models are certified to NSF®/ANSI 61 and 372 — Drinking Water System Component — Health Effects and Lead Content. MIGHTY★PURE® models MP36C (12 GPM) and MP49C (20 GPM) are available with certification for NSF®/ANSI Standard 55 — Ultraviolet Microbiological Water Treatment Systems. Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation’s UV water disinfection systems are made in the USA of Type 304 or Type 316 stainless steel for maximum durability. Our UV Application Specialists can assist you in selecting the correct model for your home.
*For information on personal hygiene, food and beverage prep, and washing dishes, visit this link from the CDC and see Section 1: Before an Incident > “Frequently Asked Questions About Boil Water Advisories.”
Learn More & Shop Our Products
Made or Assembled in the USA of Type 304 or Type 316 stainless steel, the UV water treatment systems from Atlantic Ultraviolet Corporation® are constructed of the highest quality materials and use germicidal UV-C lamps to purify water. Many applications can benefit from germicidal UV-C, including your home during a boil water alert. For more information on UV-C for water disinfection during boil water advisories, visit our application-specific page.
Learn Here! Ultraviolet.com
- Learn about UV Water & Liquid Purifiers
- Download Ultraviolet Water Documents from our PDF Library
- Visit our Application-Specific Page: UV-C for Water Disinfection During Boil Water Advisories
- View all the applications that can benefit from Germicidal UV-C
- Learn about STER-L-RAY ® Germicidal Ultraviolet Lamps
Shop Here! BuyUltraviolet.com
- Shop UV Water Purifiers for use during Boil Water Advisories
- Shop STER-L-RAY ® Germicidal UV Lamps
- Compare all models with our UV Water Purifier Comparison Chart
Need help? Call Our UV Specialists at 1-631-273-0500, Monday – Friday 7am to 6pm EST or fill out our contact form.
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View our infographic: What Should You Do During a Boil Water Alert at Home?
