There is a boil-water notice for our tap water

What is happening

Step by step

1. 1

   Phase 1

   As soon as you hear about the notice

   • Read carefully what applies – boil-water notice, do-not-drink notice or do-not-use notice – and for which area.
   • Tell everyone in the household, including children and guests; a note on the taps helps against habit.
   • Dispose of ice cubes, drinks and food made with tap water from the affected period as the supplier advises.
   • Stop using water dispensers, ice makers and coffee machines with a fixed water connection.
   • Let neighbours know who may not follow the news – older people, for example.
2. 2

   Phase 2

   Daily life during the boil-water notice

   • Bring water to a rolling boil and let it cool, covered.
   • Store boiled water in clean, covered containers and label them.
   • Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, infant formula, cooking, washing raw fruit and vegetables and for pets.
   • For hand washing, showering, dishes and laundry follow the supplier's advice; do not swallow water in the shower and wash small children with a flannel instead.
   • Jug filters and fridge filters do not make water germ-free – they do not replace boiling.
3. 3

   Phase 3

   If problems arise

   • If the power fails: use bottled water; run camping stoves outdoors only. Chemical disinfection is a stopgap and must be used exactly as instructed.
   • With diarrhoea or vomiting, drink enough – boiled or bottled water – and pay attention to hygiene; call your doctor if it does not improve or if babies, older or sick people are affected.
   • Call the emergency number with signs of severe dehydration (hardly any urine, very dry mouth, unusual drowsiness, in babies hardly any wet nappies), with confusion or if poisoning is suspected.
   • If a "do not drink" or "do not use" notice applies: do not boil or filter the water to use it anyway; use bottled water or distribution points.
4. 4

   Phase 4

   When the notice is lifted

   • Only the official lifting by the supplier or authority counts – not rumours and not how the water looks.
   • Flush your pipes as the supplier instructs, usually by letting cold water run for a while.
   • Empty ice makers, clean water dispensers and coffee machines according to the manufacturer's instructions and replace filter cartridges.
   • Clean the containers that held boiled water and let them dry.

What to watch out for

• A boil-water notice is not a do-not-drink notice

  With chemical contamination boiling does not help and can even concentrate some substances. Always check the exact wording of the notice.

• Scalds

  Handling a lot of boiling water every day raises the risk of scalds, especially with children in the household. Put pans at the back of the hob, do not let the kettle cable hang down and let water cool before pouring it into containers.

• Infant formula

  Use only boiled water or bottled water that is expressly suitable for baby bottles, and follow advice from the authorities and your paediatrician.

• Hidden routes

  Ice cubes, rinsing a toothbrush under the tap, coffee from the machine, washed salad – many routes bypass boiling. Go through your daily routine once consciously.

• Recontamination

  Boiled water can become contaminated again in dirty or open containers. Use clean, covered containers and pour the water out rather than scooping it with hands or cups.

• People at higher risk

  Babies, older people, pregnant women and people with weakened immunity become dehydrated more quickly with diarrhoea. Seek medical advice if you are unsure.

Special consideration

Babies and toddlers

Clean bottles, teats and dummies with boiled water. Toddlers easily swallow water in the bath – wash them with a flannel instead.

People with weakened immune systems

Anyone with weakened immunity – for example after a transplant, during chemotherapy or for other reasons – should ask their doctor whether extra precautions are needed.

Pets

Animals should also get boiled and cooled, or bottled, water.