Solutions Through Science provides the following updated guidelines provided by the Water Quality and Health Board in case you bring water to your home or business.
As we prepare for tropical storm Barry to land tomorrow, the Louisians are facing a potentially devastating storm and flood situation. Solutions Through Science provides the following updated guidelines provided by the Water Quality and Health Board in case you bring water to your home or business.
First assume that all floods are contaminated and that exposure can increase the risk of diseases such as fever, gastrointestinal infections, hepatitis, skin and eye infections and respiratory problems.
The first step is to eliminate flood and sewage and dry the affected area. Powerful fans and improved ventilation are suitable for drying wet structural surfaces. In the meantime, it is important to evaluate the objects touched by the flood and decide what to throw and store. Wherever possible, a disinfectant solution of water and chlorine should be applied to the affected surfaces of the protected objects.
In order to prevent the transmission of diseases related to the elimination of floods, the Health and Water Council gives the following recommendations:
• When using a disinfectant solution for cleaning after a high tide, note the following:
--- Wear gloves and protective clothing. Do not touch your face or your eyes.
--- Change the disinfectant solution daily. The unused solution can be discarded in a toilet or sink.
--- Be careful. Wash well and dry.
--- When you're done, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, even if you've been wearing gloves.
• If an item was wet, assume it is contaminated.
• Disinfection works best if all waste and contaminants are removed first. For this reason, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend washing the surfaces first with hot water and soap. Then use a bleach solution for disinfection.
• To disinfect walls, floors and other surfaces that come into contact with water, prepare a chlorine solution (3/4 cup, normal concentration - six percent - chlorine per gallon of water). Water of the flood. Keep the area wet for at least two minutes.
• When touching exterior surfaces such as garden furniture, patios, terraces, and playground equipment, after removing dirt and debris with soap and grease, soak the surfaces with a disinfectant solution for 10 minutes. Clear and hot water. This may mean that the surface is moistened several times with a disinfectant solution.
• Carpets that have been soaked for more than 24 hours should be disposed of. If carpets have been soaked for less than 24 hours, follow these steps:
- Carpets which have come into contact with floods contaminated by sewage should be disposed of.
--- Carpets that have touched, for example, only clean underground filtrations or lawn drains in a basement can be dried and cleaned.
--- Washable carpets can normally be properly cleaned in a washing machine.
--- For more information about cleaning carpets that have been damaged by the flood, visit the website of this North Dakota University.
• Remember that there is insulation behind the wall, so disinfecting drywall is not enough. Remove the drywall and wet insulation and disinfect the wooden posts before carrying out any new insulation or drywall work.
• Dispose of any food that has come into contact with the flood. Some preserves may be redeemable. Doses that have come into contact with the flood should be disinfected, but damaged or damaged cans should be disposed of. Flood-contaminated foods can cause serious infections. A general rule for cleaning is when in doubt, dispose of it.
• To disinfect undamaged cans:
--- Remove dirt and debris.
--- Wash the surface with soapy water and rinse well with clean water.
--- Apply a chlorine solution for two minutes, then rinse thoroughly and dry.
• Chlorine solutions decompose quickly; Make sure you prepare a new solution every day if necessary.
• Contaminated clothing should be washed with as mild water as possible with detergent and chlorine if permitted by the manufacturer's instructions.
Disinfection of private wells.
If you live in a recently flooded area, your private well may be contaminated or damaged by pollutants and debris caused by flooding. Well owners should suspect any contamination of the well with any flooding of the well cover or with noticeable changes in taste, color or deposits in well water.
Here are some first steps that include what you should do (and what not) when your well is affected by the floods:
• Do not drink or cook with your water! They could become susceptible to microbial contaminants or other contaminants entering the well from the floods.
• Do not switch on the well pump! There is a risk of electric shock and damage to the well.
• Consult a certified well builder to evaluate and treat flooding in your well pump system, including cleaning and inspecting waste and repairing mechanical and electrical components.
If you think your drinking water is contaminated, look for an alternative source that you know to be safe from drinking and cooking. Flooding can cause bacteria, other microorganisms and contaminants to enter or exit the well. Even if the flood had not risen above the cover of a well, the well of one neighbor could have been flooded, contaminating adjacent wells.
Before you use your well again, take a water sample and have it tested by a state-approved laboratory. Contact your local or regional health department. If the tests indicate that your well is contaminated by bacteria, disinfect the well and the entire piping system using a shock chlorination procedure. An approved well builder has the equipment, materials and experience to adequately disinfect a well.
Alternatively, well owners can sanitize their own wells if the instructions are followed, especially to safely determine and add a fair amount of bleach without fragrance.
• Always perform a water test a second time after you have been treated with disinfectants with chlorine or another disinfection or treatment procedure.
• Disinfection or cooking does not protect against other contaminants (such as fuels) that can contaminate your private well.
For more information, visit: www.stsla.org or www.waterandhealth.org.
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