When a boil water notice is lifted, it is certainly good news—but there are still a few things you should do around your home before everything goes completely back to normal. That became especially relevant for some of our neighbors in the Sharp and Davilla area this week, when Bell-Milam-Falls Water Supply Corporation issued a boil water notice on September 23 following a loss of water or low water pressure and later rescinded it.
Once your water supplier officially lifts a boil water notice, the water has been determined to be safe to drink again. But water that was already sitting in household plumbing, filters, ice makers and appliances may need a little attention.
Here are some simple steps to take.
First, Make Sure the Notice Really Has Been Lifted
Don’t assume the water is safe simply because the water is running normally again.
Wait until your water supplier or local authorities have officially rescinded the boil water notice.
In Texas, a public water system must correct the problem, return the system to normal operating conditions and complete required testing before a boil water notice can be lifted.
For the recent local notice, Bell-Milam-Falls WSC announced later on September 23 that the notice affecting the Davilla and Sharp area had been rescinded.
Flush Your Faucets
After a boil water notice is lifted, it is a good idea to flush your household plumbing.
Run cold water through your faucets for several minutes. This helps move fresh water through the pipes and clears out water that may have been sitting in your home’s plumbing during the disruption.
Don’t forget faucets that aren’t used as often, such as those in a guest bathroom, utility room or outdoor sink.
If your home experienced a noticeable loss of water pressure, flushing your faucets and showers is particularly important.
Don’t Forget the Refrigerator and Ice Maker
Your refrigerator may be connected directly to your home’s water supply.
If ice was made while the boil water notice was in effect, throw that ice away. You don’t want to keep using ice made from water that was under the advisory.
Your refrigerator’s water dispenser and ice maker may also need to be flushed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
This is one of those little things that can easily be forgotten once we hear that the water is safe again.
Check Your Water Filters
If you have a refrigerator filter, under-sink filter or another point-of-use water filtration system, check the manufacturer’s instructions about what should be done following a boil water notice.
Some filters may need to be replaced.
A household water filter shouldn’t automatically be considered protection during a boil water notice. Most common household filters are not designed to remove every type of bacteria or virus that may be of concern during an advisory.
That is why public-health officials generally tell residents to follow the boil-water instructions even when they normally drink filtered water.
What About a Reverse Osmosis System?
Some homes in our area—including ours—use a reverse osmosis system for drinking water.
Even if you have an RO system, you should still follow the instructions issued by your water supplier during a boil water notice unless the manufacturer and local health authorities specifically say otherwise.
After the notice is lifted, check the instructions for your particular RO system. Depending on the system and circumstances, filters, membranes or storage tanks may require flushing, sanitizing or other maintenance.
Not every system is the same, so this is one situation where the manufacturer’s instructions matter.
Run Your Water Softener
If you have a water softener, public-health guidance recommends running it through a regeneration cycle after a boil water advisory has ended.
That allows fresh water to move through the system before you return to normal use.
Again, check your particular manufacturer’s instructions if you’re unsure how to do this.
What About Coffee Makers and Other Appliances?
Think about appliances around your kitchen that automatically draw water from a water line.
That might include an automatic coffee maker, refrigerator dispenser, ice machine or other appliance.
If the appliance received water while the boil notice was in effect, follow the manufacturer’s directions for flushing and cleaning it before using it again.
For an ordinary coffee maker that you fill by hand, simply wash it as you normally would and begin with fresh water once the notice has officially been lifted.
You Don’t Have to Panic and Clean the Whole House
Once the water supplier has officially announced that the water is safe again, there is no reason to turn the situation into a massive house-cleaning project.
You don’t normally need to scrub every surface, wash every dish in the cabinets or throw away everything that might have come near tap water.
Concentrate on the places where water actually sits or flows: your faucets, filters, refrigerator water system, ice maker and other water-connected appliances.
A little common sense goes a long way.
Keep Emergency Drinking Water on Hand
A boil water notice is also a good reminder to keep some drinking water stored at home.
Water interruptions can happen because of broken water lines, loss of pressure, severe weather, equipment problems and other unexpected events.
Having bottled water available can make those first few hours much easier—particularly for older adults, families with small children, people with health concerns and households with pets.
Here in rural Central Texas, it never hurts to be prepared for an interruption in water service.
Back to Normal in Sharp and Davilla
For residents affected by the September 23 notice, the good news is that Bell-Milam-Falls WSC has officially rescinded the boil water notice for the Davilla and Sharp area.
Once a notice is lifted, taking a few minutes to flush your plumbing and check the appliances and filters that use household water can help get everything back to normal.
At Driscoll Home Services, we keep an eye on local information that can affect homes and families throughout Milam County. Sometimes something as simple as knowing what to do after a water interruption can make taking care of your home a little easier.
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