Keep drinking water supplies safe
Contact: Joan Hegerfeld-Baker
Phone: (605) 688-6233
Friday, November 7, 2008
South Dakotans forced to use alternate water supplies because of events such as winter storms should be prepared to store water safely and disinfect it if necessary.
SDSU Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld-Baker said Extension offices around South Dakota can respond to questions from homeowners about storing or disinfecting water. Science-based sources such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control offer good information on the subject, Hegerfeld-Baker said.
“If an event such as a power outage puts you in a situation where you must haul water, I strongly recommend that you get water that has been treated or disinfected,” said Hegerfeld-Baker. “If you’re getting your water from a source that has not been treated to destroy microorganisms that can cause diseases, you may want to consider disinfecting it with a chlorine bleach solution.”
People should also be careful in choosing containers to store water, Hegerfeld-Baker said.
“That could be a plastic container, glass, a metal container that’s lined with enamel, or a fiberglass container. It’s important that these containers are originally intended for food or water use. Definitely don’t use a trash can liner, since there are chemicals in the bag itself that could leach into the food or water. Some excellent choices would be containers that you buy such as a five-gallon dispensing barrel specifically for liquids or water. Also consider soft drink containers or milk jugs. It’s important that you’re able to cover the container to keep contaminants out.”
Hegerfeld-Baker cautioned that milk jugs don’t work well for long-term storage of up to six months because they don’t seal tightly enough. When choosing your containers, make sure the container has not held any toxic chemicals, such as farm or lawn chemicals or cleaning agents.
All containers should be thoroughly washed and rinsed before putting water in them for storage. You may also want to consider sanitizing your containers. That involves washing, rinsing, and then sanitizing. Sanitize the container after it has been washed and rinsed by using a separate bleach solution, Hegerfeld-Baker said.
To sanitize, mix a dilution of 1 tablespoon of a 5.25 percent bleach (normal and unscented) to 1 gallon of water, pour it in your container, let it have contact for at least 60 seconds, empty the sanitizing solution, and the container is ready for storing water.
Contact your local Extension family and consumer sciences educator for more information, Hegerfeld-Baker advised.
AgBio Communications Unit
South Dakota State University
ACC, Box 2231, Rm 200
Brookings, SD 57007
Telephone: (605) 688-4653
Lance.Nixon@sdstate.edu