News Release 212

MISSOURI AGENCIES OFFER DRINKING WATER SAFETY GUIDANCE AFTER ILLINOIS EARTHQUAKE

Volume 36-212	Contact: Kerry Cordray \ Lori Buchanan
(For immediate release)	573-526-4220 \ 573-751-6062

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, April 18, 2008 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services are advising Missouri residents to take precautions with their drinking water following the earthquake event in Illinois affecting portions of Missouri.

Due to this morning's magnitude 5.2 earthquake, centered in the Wabash Valley Seismic Zone approximately 130 miles east of St. Louis, some public water systems and private well supplies may have experienced damage to well casings, cracked water lines, low water pressure, and in some cases, complete water outages. Low pressure and broken lines allow contaminants to enter drinking water, so people in these situations need to consider boiling their drinking water. There have been no reports of water quality problems related to this event at this time but residents should remain aware of the potential.

Residents who are served by a public water system should contact their public water supplier directly for further information and consult the local news media for notification when any health advisories have been issued or lifted. The local water supplier has the most up-to-date information about problems in the area, such as broken water mains, low water pressure or any other possible sources of contamination.

Because an earthquake can cause shifts in the earth, groundwater used for drinking and the private wells that access it can be affected. Well water can become cloudy or take on a different color, smell and feel. The water can also become contaminated with dirt, minerals and other solids, as well as bacteria. Do not use water that has a dark color, an odor or contains floating material.

If you have a private well for drinking water and you felt the earthquake, you should check your well water system for damage or for changes in your drinking water. If your well system is damaged or your well water changes, you should stop drinking it until the water clears and then have it tested for bacterial contamination. Consider drinking bottled or purified water until your well water is deemed safe to drink.

If you suspect your well water is contaminated, contact your local public health agency for information on water testing and for proper well disinfection procedures. A listing of Missouri local public health agencies can be accessed at www.dhss.mo.gov/LPHA/LPHAs.html. More information on safe well water can be accessed on the DHSS website at www.dhss.mo.gov.

If an area was without water pressure for any period of time or if the water is cloudy, residents should boil their water for three minutes for drinking. This should continue until they are notified that samples have been taken proving the water is safe to drink.

While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that there is the potential that contamination inside houses, businesses and factories could flow backward into the water system and be carried to customers.

Boil Water Procedures:

Boil water vigorously for three minutes prior to use. Use only boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth, diluting fruit juices and all other food preparation or consumption. Use of bottled water may be a feasible, though relatively expensive, alternative to boiling tap water when under a boil water order.
Do not use ice from a household automatic icemaker or use any ice made with un-boiled water from this system. Make ice cubes with water that has been boiled or purchase ice.
Disinfect dishes and other food contact surfaces by immersing for at least one minute in clean tap water that contains one teaspoon of unscented household bleach per gallon of water.
Allow water to cool sufficiently before drinking.

Water used for hand washing or bathing does not generally need to be boiled. Supervision of children is necessary while bathing to ensure they do not ingest water.

Procedures for Chemical Disinfection of Cloudy Water:

Bleach will kill some, but not all, types of disease-causing organisms that may be in the water.

If the water is cloudy, filter it through clean cloths or allow it to settle, and draw off the clear after for boiling and disinfection.
Follow Boil Water Procedures listed above. Boil water vigorously for three minutes prior to use. Use only boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth, diluting fruit juices and all other food preparation or consumption. Use of bottled water may be a feasible, though relatively expensive, alternative to boiling tap water when under a boil water order.
Add 1/8 teaspoon (or 8 drops) of regular, unscented, liquid household bleach for each gallon of water, stir it well and let it stand for 30 minutes before you use it.
Store disinfected water in clean containers with covers.

If boiling water is not feasible or if you have cloudy water, other procedures for chemical disinfection of drinking water can be found on the U.S. EPA Web site at http://www.epa.gov/safewater/faq/emerg.html.

The Department of Natural Resources encourages individuals who experience water outages or have questions about their drinking water to contact the nearest department regional office by calling
800-361-4827 or 573-751-5331 or by visiting the Web at http://www.dnr.mo.gov/regions/regions.htm.

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