Impacts to Drinking Water and Wastewater Systems After a Flood

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (Sept. 27, 2024) - Drinking water and wastewater systems can be significantly affected by flooding. If you receive a boil water notice from your utility or are on a private well, follow the steps to keep you and your family safe.

How to Disinfect Water

The preferred method is boiling. To ensure all pathogens are killed, bring water to a rolling boil and boil for at least one minute. Let cool before use to prevent burns. If boiling is not an available option, disinfect by adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water. Mix well and let sit uncovered for 30 minutes or more. Water that has been disinfected can be safely stored in a clean, covered container for later use.

When to Use Disinfected Water

• Drinking - Drinking water should be disinfected before use by any humans or animals. Water from your refrigerator dispenser will also need disinfected. Any ice in your ice maker should be thrown away and no new ice made from your refrigerator should be used during the advisory. If you make ice in a tray, disinfect the water first.
• Cooking - Any water to be used in cooking should be disinfected prior to use. Disinfected water should also be used to wash any food, such as fruits and vegetables. Baby formula should be prepared using disinfected water. Ensure your hands have been cleaned with disinfected water before handling any food.
• Cleaning - Dishes can be hand-cleaned using tap water if they are rinsed afterward for one minute in a bleach solution made from one tablespoon of bleach per gallon of tap water. Dishes should then be left to air dry. It is safe to wash clothes in tap water.
• Personal Hygiene - General handwashing can be done with tap water and soap; however, if you will be in contact with food, use disinfected water to prevent any contamination to prepared food. If you have any open cuts, wounds, or sores, disinfected water should be used when cleaning the afflicted area. Individuals who have had recent surgery, chronic illness or are immunosuppressed may want to use disinfected water for any personal hygiene to ensure health. While tap water is safe for bathing and showering, care should be taken not to allow water in the eyes, nose or mouth to prevent pathogens from entering your body. Children and disabled individuals should be supervised when bathing to ensure no water is ingested. Disinfected water should be used for brushing teeth. Tap water is safe for shaving, as long as care is taken to prevent water from entering the eyes, nose, mouth or shaving cuts.

Private Wells

If you are unsure about the impact of flooding on your well water, use bottled water or boil water for drinking, making ice, teeth brushing, and washing any areas of the skin that have been cut or injured.

If your well is affected by flood waters, there may be disease-causing organisms in your water making it unsafe to drink.

Public Sewer Customers

Please take steps to limit water and sewer use immediately. Storm surge from Hurricane Helene has impacted the sewer system.

Low Pressure Sewer customers without power. Once power resumes, your alarm may sound due to the high levels. Please wait approximately 30 to 40 minutes and if your alarm does not stop, contact Charlotte County Utilities at 941-764-4300. As a reminder, please limit water usage.

Individual Septic Systems

If on a private septic system and your plumbing is functioning slowly:

• Conserve water as much as possible; the less water used, the less sewage the septic tank must process. Minimize use of your washing machine.
• Do not have the septic tank pumped. Exceptionally high-water tables might crush a septic tank that was pumped dry. If the basic problem is high ground water, pumping the tank does nothing to solve that problem.

For storm information, call the Charlotte County Emergency Operations Center at 941-833-4000. Follow Charlotte County Emergency Management for important emergency information at www.charlottecountyfl.gov/em, www.facebook.com/oemcharlottecounty, and www.x.com/ccoem.

For media information, contact Communications Director Brian Gleason at 941-661-6415 or [email protected].

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