How do you get safe drinking water after a flood? Did flood water enter your well or local water treatment plant? Did your local government officials issue a boil alert? Has there been damage to any pipes leading to your home? Even if your water looks and smells fine, it does not mean it is safe to drink. A glass of water might look clear but it could still contain pathogens that could make you very ill or worse.
Assessing Water Safety After a Flood
Before drinking or using water for cooking, it is essential to evaluate whether it has been affected by floodwaters. Consider the following factors:
- Floodwater Intrusion: Determine if floodwaters have entered your well or the local water treatment facility.
- Boil Water Advisory: Check if local officials have issued a boil water advisory, indicating a risk of contamination.
- Damaged Infrastructure: Inspect pipes leading to your home for any damage, leaks, or signs of contamination.
- Visual and Smell Test: Although not a definitive test, water that is murky, has an unusual odor, or contains debris should not be consumed.
- Testing Water Quality: If in doubt, use test kits or seek professional laboratory testing to ensure water safety.
Contaminants in Flood Water
In addition to the contaminants that are regularly found in tap water, there is a lot more dirt and clay. There will also be more significant amounts of organic pollutants from the earth’s surface, such as oil, gasoline, solvents, insecticides, herbicides, and more. More concerning is the massive increase in bacteria, protozoa, viruses, and other biological contaminants from overflowing sewage and water treatment plants. Even dead animals are likely to be in the water. Having overly contaminated water means that pitcher filters or reverse osmosis systems will not be able to make water drinkable, but water distillers can produce healthy, safe drinking water.
Floods pose a particular threat to drinking water systems because floodwaters often carry contaminants that can make people sick. If source water or any part of the water distribution system flood, these contaminants can end up at consumer taps. Source: Washington State Dept of Health
Common Contaminants in Floodwater
Floodwaters can carry a variety of contaminants that pose significant health risks. These contaminants may come from overflowing sewage systems, industrial waste, agricultural runoff, and household chemicals. Some of the most common contaminants include:
- Biological Contaminants:
- Bacteria (e.g., E. coli, Salmonella, Leptospira)
- Viruses (e.g., Hepatitis A, Norovirus, Rotavirus)
- Protozoa (e.g., Giardia, Cryptosporidium)
- Parasites (e.g., roundworms, hookworms)
- Chemical Contaminants:
- Pesticides and herbicides
- Industrial solvents and petroleum products (e.g., oil, gasoline, benzene)
- Heavy metals (e.g., lead, arsenic, mercury)
- Household chemicals (e.g., bleach, detergents, disinfectants)
- Physical Contaminants:
- Dirt, silt, and clay particles
- Debris from damaged structures
- Decomposing organic matter (e.g., dead animals, plant material)
How Flooding Affects Drinking Water Systems
Floods can severely disrupt municipal water treatment systems, private wells, and public water supplies. Key risks include:
- Overwhelmed Water Treatment Plants: Excess water can overwhelm filtration and disinfection systems, allowing contaminants to enter the drinking supply.
- Well Contamination: Private wells can be directly contaminated by floodwater, introducing bacteria, viruses, and chemicals.
- Broken or Leaking Pipes: Infrastructure damage can allow contaminants to seep into the water supply before they reach consumers.
- Loss of Pressure in Water Systems: Low pressure can lead to backflow pulling contaminated water into otherwise clean supply lines.
How Can I Purify My Water After a Flood?
If you are in an area that has experienced a flood, but you are still in your home, you have a few options to obtain clean, safe drinking water. You can follow FEMA recommendations as outlined below, purchase bottled water, which may not be readily available due to high demand, or become an owner of a water distiller for ultimate convenience and peace of mind.
How to Make Water Safe after a Flood (Source: FEMA)
FEMA recommends boiling, disinfecting, and filtering. However, they clearly state, “do not use water you suspect is contaminated.” Below is an excerpt from the FEMA website.
Make Your Water Safe by:
- Boiling
- If water is cloudy, allow to settle, and then skim the clean water above the sediment. You can also filter through clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter before boiling.
- Store the boiled water in clean sanitized containers with tight covers.
- Disinfect by using:
- Unscented household chlorine bleach or iodine (useful against most, but not all, harmful viruses or bacteria.
- When using bleach, read the label carefully to ensure you use the proper concentration.
- Chlorine dioxide tablets (useful against organisms resistant to bleach or iodine)
- Filtering
- Filter water through a clean cloth, paper towel, or coffee filter or allow it to settle, then draw off the clear water.
- Use a portable water filter.
- Ensure the filter’s pore size is small enough to remove bacteria and parasites.
- Carefully read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. After filtering, add a disinfectant such as iodine, chlorine, or chlorine dioxide to the filtered water to kill any viruses and remaining bacteria.
Challenges of Using Bottled Water
People who have experienced a flood frequently purchase bottled water. It seems like an easy solution to their water needs. However, during a flood, bottled water can become scarce. It can also become expensive when you consider how much water you and your family might need daily for drinking and other uses. Driving to the store and waiting in lines can also waste time the you could be using to clean up your home or protect your home from continued flooding. Moreover, if roads are blocked or closed or you don’t have a car, or it’s been damaged, how will you get to the store?
- Scarcity: High demand during floods can quickly deplete supplies.
- High Cost: The cost of purchasing bottled water for an entire family can add up.
- Accessibility Issues: Blocked roads, store closures, or transportation challenges may prevent access to bottled water.
- Storage Limitations: Large quantities of bottled water require storage space and can expire over time.
Methods for Purifying Water After a Flood
If your water source is compromised, you can purify water using several methods. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends boiling, disinfecting, and filtering to make water safe for consumption.
1. Boiling
- Effective Against: Bacteria, viruses, and parasites
- Process:
- If water is cloudy, allow it to settle and filter through a clean cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel.
- Bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute (three minutes at higher altitudes).
- Store in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.
- Limitations: Boiling does not remove heavy metals, chemicals, or sediment.
2. Disinfection
- Using Household Bleach:
- Add 1/8 teaspoon (8 drops) of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of clear water.
- Stir and let stand for 30 minutes before use.
- If water remains cloudy, repeat the process or filter before use.
- Using Iodine or Chlorine Dioxide Tablets:
- Follow manufacturer instructions to disinfect water effectively.
- Chlorine dioxide is more effective against resistant organisms like Cryptosporidium.
- Limitations: Chemical disinfection may not eliminate all contaminants, particularly certain parasites and heavy metals.
3. Filtration
- Basic Filtration:
- Use a clean cloth, coffee filter, or paper towel to remove sediment.
- Portable Water Filters:
- Ensure the filter’s pore size is 0.2 microns or smaller to remove bacteria and parasites.
- Some filters include activated carbon, which helps remove some chemicals.
- Limitations: Most filters do not remove viruses or heavy metals without additional treatment.
Distillation: The Most Effective Water Purification Method
Distillation is one of the most effective ways to ensure safe drinking water, as it removes over 99% of contaminants by mirroring the natural hydrologic cycle.
How Distillation Works:
- Water is brought to a low boil to create steam, leaving contaminants behind.
- The steam is collected and cooled, condensing back into pure water.
- This process effectively removes bacteria, viruses, heavy metals, and chemical pollutants.
Advantages of Water Distillation:
- Removes bacteria, viruses, parasites, heavy metals, and most chemicals.
- Does not rely on chemical disinfectants.
- Provides consistent, high-quality drinking water regardless of source contamination.
Investing in a Home Water Distiller for Long-Term Water Security
A home water distiller provides peace of mind, ensuring access to clean water during floods and other emergencies. Owning a distiller eliminates reliance on bottled water and makes purification easy. Below is a chart showing the reduction of contaminants by using a water distiller versus reverse osmosis or just a carbon filter alone. Note that AquaNui water distillers come with a post carbon filter as well.
Benefits of a Home Water Distiller:
- Point of use removal means that tap water or well water issues, or bad pipes won’t affect your drinking water.
- Removes over 99% of contaminants, including heavy metals and pathogens
- Produces fresh, clean water daily for drinking and cooking
- Sustainable and cost-effective over time
AquaNui Water Distillers Provide Peace of Mind
Filtration (like a pitcher filter) can remove some contaminants by passing water through a filter. However, a simple filter cannot not make flood water safe to drink. Reverse Osmosis is able to remove more contaminants than pitcher filters, but can’t be relied on during a flood to remove pathogens, viruses and other contaminants. Distillation, on the other hand, boils water, leaving contaminants and toxins behind. Once the water boils, pure, clean steam rises and is cooled and condensed back into pure liquid water for drinking. The process of distillation is so effective that it removes over 99% of contaminants. Simply boiling water might kill bacteria, but it will leave dead bacteria and cysts behind for you to drink. Also, boiling alone can concentrate heavy metals making it unsafe to drink. The clean steam that escapes from the pot is the water you actually want to drink!
An AquaNui Water distiller provides fresh, safe water by mirroring the hydrologic cycle.
Instead of worrying about whether or not your water is safe to drink, take control of your water supply. Get safe drinking water after a flood by using distilled water from an AquaNui home water distiller is free from contaminants including heavy metals, bacteria, viruses, pesticides, and much more. Whether you are using tap water or well water, owning a water distiller ensures access to clean and convenient drinking water, even if your water was affected by floods or another natural disaster.
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