East Point residents are advised to boil their drinking and cooking water prior to using it as a boil water advisory remains in effect after the City was able to restore water service throughout the community yesterday.
This is Day 3 of the city’s boil water advisory. Although the city has said it will lift its advisory soon, at this time it has not happened so that means residents need to continue to boil any water used for cooking or drinking.
The City is indicating the advisory will not be lifted until, “All microbiological tests, performed by a certified laboratory, are confirmed negative for total coliform bacteria”, as reported via a city government Facebook post on Sunday.
What You Need To Do To Stay Safe:
During a boil water advisory, you must boil your tap water or use bottled water for anything that involves consumption or direct contact with your mouth and open wounds. Boiling the water kills disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites that may have entered the system.
Bring water to a rolling boil. Wait until large bubbles rise rapidly from the bottom.
Maintain the boil for 1 minute. If you live at an altitude above 6,500 feet, keep it boiling for 3 minutes.
Cool and store. Let the water cool completely before use. Store it in a clean, sanitized container with a tight lid.
Boil even if filtered. Most standard household refrigerator and pitcher filters do not remove microscopic germs.
What to Do (Do’s & Don’ts)
| Activity | Safe to Use Tap Water? | Action Required / Precaution |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking & Beverages | NO ❌ | Use bottled or boiled water for drinking, coffee, tea, and infant formula. |
| Brushing Teeth | NO ❌ | Keep tap water out of your mouth; use boiled or bottled water to rinse. |
| Cooking & Ice | NO ❌ | Wash all produce and cook food with safe water. Throw out existing ice from ice makers. |
| Bathing & Showers | YES ⚠️ | Safe for adults if you do not swallow water. Give babies sponge baths instead. |
| Washing Hands | YES | Regular handwashing with soap and tap water is safe for basic personal hygiene. |
| Washing Dishes | YES ⚠️ | Safe if using a dishwasher with a sanitize cycle or high heat setting (at least 150°F). |
| Washing Clothes | YES | Doing laundry with regular tap water is completely safe. |
| Flushing Toilets | YES | No restrictions apply to toilet use unless a conservation notice is issued. |
| Pets | NO ❌ | Give pets boiled and completely cooled water, as they |
Washing Dishes by Hand
If you do not have a high-temperature dishwasher, follow the instructions from the CDC Boil Water Advisory Guide to wash dishes manually:
- Wash and rinse dishes as normal using hot tap water.
- In a separate basin, mix 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach per gallon of warm water.
- Soak the clean dishes in the bleach solution for at least 1 minute.
- Let the dishes air dry completely before using them.
What to Do When the Advisory is Lifted
Do not return to normal use immediately. You must clean out your home plumbing first:
- Flush lines: Run all cold water faucets for 5 to 10 minutes to introduce fresh water into the pipes.
- Dump ice: Discard the next 3 batches of ice made by automatic ice makers.
- Replace filters: Change out any disposable water cartridges in your refrigerator or filtration pitchers.
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