You turn on the morning news and learn that a "boil water alert"  or "boil water notice" has been issued for your area. What does this mean? What is wrong with the water? Is my family safe? Have we already been infected? What do I do now?

It is the responsibility of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Ground Water and Drinking Water (OGWDW), together with individual states, tribes, and its many partners, to protect public health by ensuring safe drinking water and protecting the ground water. The standards have been set by following the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA). The EPA regulates the acceptable levels of contaminates in our water. The Public Board Of Health or officials of the water system put out the warnings.

There are several factors that can trigger the "boil water alert" or "boil water notice."  Advisories are issued when water pressure drops due to repairing water lines or water pipe breaks because biological contaminates can possibly enter the system. Contaminates enter the water system usually from high rainfall flooding or a prolonged heat wave that concentrates the contaminates. The two most frequent contaminates are high levels of coliform and E. coli.

Coliforms are bacteria that live in the digestive tract of animals and are present in their fecal waste. They are also found in soil and plants. Testing for coliforms isused as an indicator of water quality. High levels increase the likelihood that disease causing organisms are also present in high concentration. Most coliforms do not cause illness. However there are rare strains of E. coli that do not reproduce in the environment but can cause grave illness.

For the most part, the water supply is safe to drink. The "boil water alert" is issued as a precautionary measure to prevent those at high risk from getting ill. The high risk group include the very young, elderly, immune compromised, and those with illness. Water for drinking and cooking should be brought to a rolling boil for no less than three minutes or bottled water can be used instead.

The "boil water notice" is issued when it is confirmed that harmful pathogens are present. It is necessary to eliminate the bacterial contaminates by boiling water for at least three minutes before ingesting or use bottled water. This includes water used to brush teeth.

In both instances, water will be treated to restore safe levels. Boiling will remove the high levels of chlorine and other disinfecting agents used which can be just as harmful as the pathogens they treat. Understanding the causes and processes better arms you to deal with the "boil water alert" and "boil water notice" if and when they occur.