Thurston County urges Nisqually Delta residents to boil water
Hours after Thurston County emergency management officials lifted the evacuation advisory for the flood-damaged Nisqually Delta, county health officials announced Sunday afternoon that residents in the area should boil their drinking water.
Well water in the area may have been contaminated by recent flooding.
“Even though your property may not have been directly flooded, your well water could still be contaminated,” said Art Starry, environmental health director for the county’s public health and social services department, in a statement. “Unless your well has been tested, you should use bottled water or boil your water.”
Starry added that signs of contaminated water might include an unusual smell or discoloration.
“Contaminated water may be especially hard on small children,” he said.
Residents should bring the water to a rolling boil for one minute to kill most organisms.
Bottled, boiled or treated water is safe for drinking or other uses, such as to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food or make ice.
Resources
-Drinking and water sanitation safety tips are available at: https://www.thurstoncountywa.gov/tchome/tchomedocuments/FloodPacketForCitizens.pdf.
-For more information on water sampling and testing, please visit: https://www.co.thurston.wa.us/health/ehdw/lab.html.
