Boil Water Notice Brochure

Treatment for microbial contamination may be applied either where the water enters the home (point of entry) or at the point where drinking water is drawn (point of use). Consumers may boil their water or install a point-of-use or point-of-entry water treatment system certified for total microbial (e.g., bacteria, viruses and protozoa) reduction. If you have a POU or POE treatment system already in place that uses carbon, some other media, or a membrane for the reduction of chemicals or particulate contaminants of concern, be sure to consult the owner’s manual or a local water professional to determine how the system should be safely serviced, cleaned and sanitized prior to reuse. There are water treatment devices that are certified for total microbiological reduction health claims. BWN situations specifically involving microbiological contamination can be adequately handled by these types of microbiologically certified home water treatment devices. However, many home water treatment products, including reverse osmosis systems, do not provide total protection against all types of disease-causing microorganisms that may be present in contaminated drinking water. In many cases, products will be labeled with a statement such as: “Do not use with water that is microbiologically unsafe or of unknown quality without adequate disinfection before or after the system.”