This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune.
Over 200,000 water customers are impacted by the boil water notice in the Hinds and Rankin County area.
The Mississippi Department of Health (MSDH) has placed the whole City of Jackson and the City of Flowood under a state imposed boil water notice.
MSDH said water sampling has shown the presence of E. coli. bacteria in both systems.
This affects 188,723 customers served by the City of Jackson-JXN Water and 27,997 customers served by the City of Flowood.
Health officials strongly recommend that all water be boiled vigorously for one minute before it is consumed.
MSDH said the precaution will last at least two full days.
Water system officials will be immediately notified when the boil water alert is lifted.
According to MSDH, the United States Environmental Protection Agency sets drinking water standards and has determined that the presence of E. coli is a serious health concern. Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children and people with severely compromised immune systems.
MSDH provided the following checklist for safe water use:
DO NOT
- Do not drink tap water while the water system is under a boil water advisory.
- Do not drink from water fountains in parks, public or private buildings that receive water from the affected system.
- Do not use ice unless it has been made with boiled water. Freezing will not necessarily kill harmful bacteria.
- Do not use tap water to make drinks, juices, or fountain soft drinks.
DO
- Wash your dishes in boiled water or use paper plates for the next few days.
- Wash your fruits and vegetables with boiled or bottled water since they may have been exposed to affected water from grocery store sprayers.
- Wash your hands and bathe as usual. Bathing is safe as long as no water is swallowed.
- Brush your teeth with boiled or bottled water.
- Cook with tap water if the food will be boiled for at least one minute.
AND REMEMBER:
- Properly chlorinated water in swimming pools is safe.
- Fish in aquariums are not affected.
Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will inactivate all major types of harmful bacteria.
Once the boil water notice is lifted, customer should:
- Flush faucets for a total of 10 minutes to introduce system water throughout house plumbing.
- Discard any drinks, ice, food, etc, made during the boil water notice.
- Rewash any food or drink contact items (knives, forks, plates, etc.) with “cleared” system water.
- Check water filters (in faucets, refrigerators and elsewhere) and replace if necessary.
- Do not use water from your hot water heater for drinking until several exchanges of the tank have occurred.
- Run dishwasher through a cycle or two before washing dishes.
This article first appeared on the Magnolia Tribune and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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