Don’t take it for granted: Clean Water

John Bobel

August 31, 2017

One of Hurricane Harvey’s many lessons is that most people take clean drinking water for granted. It can come for a municipal water system, private water company, your own well, cistern or spring. During and after a flood emergency, many water supplies are contaminated with waste water, bacteria, dirt, chemicals and other materials that make the water unsafe.

That’s just one of the many reasons that Lexington Emergency Management urges residents to have at least a three day – and probably more – supply of drinking water for each family member and pet. That’s one gallon per day, not including what you’d use for washing, bathing and other activities.

Remember to use bottled water or water you have properly prepared and stored as an emergency water supply. IMPORTANT: Stored water does expire so make sure you replace it on a regular basis, especially if you have your own storage containers.

If the water supply is contaminated with groundwater, boiling and disinfecting water will kill most disease-causing organisms. The EPA has additional information about purifying water that’s suspected of not being safe for drinking and cooking.

Here’s more on drinking water safety and purification from the EPA.