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May 2, 2010
12:00 pm
BOIL WATER ADVISORY
The Town of Saugus and other communities served by the
MWRA are presently under a Boil Water Advisory
What you need to do under a boil water advisory…
Homes:
- Use boiled or bottled water only for drinking, cooking, making ice, washing fruits and vegetables, brushing teeth, and making baby formula.
- Water should be brought to a rapid, rolling boil and boiled for 1-3 minutes prior to use.
- Breast feed your baby or use ready-made formula. If you must use water to make formula, use bottled water. If you don't have bottled water, use water that has been rapidly boiled for at least 1-3 minutes.
Restaurants and other Food Service Establishments must take the following precautions:
If your facility has no running water and/or toilets that will not flush, you MUST CLOSE business operations immediately.
All Establishments MUST FOLLOW these precautions during the Boil Water
Advisory:
- All water provided to customers for drinking must be commercially bottled or boiled water.
- All foods that must be washed, rinsed or soaked must be done with commercially bottled or boiled water. If you use boiled water, allow it to cool before use.
- All water used as an ingredient in food products must be commercially bottled water or water that has been boiled rapidly for 5 minutes. Be sure to let water cool before use.
- When preparing food which will be boiled in water, you may do so as long as the water is brought to a rapid, rolling boil for at least 5 minutes. Be sure to let water cool before use.
- Beverage (soda and iced tea) machines used to dispense cold beverages MUST NOT be used. The lines connected directly to the tap water for mixing must be disconnected.
- Beverages made with water – including post mix carbonated beverages, auto-fill coffee makers, instant hot water dispenser, juice, tea, etc:
- Discontinue use of post-mix carbonated beverage machine, auto-fill coffee makers, instant hot water heaters, etc. using auto-fill.
- All ice must be made with commercially bottled water or must originate from a commercial ice supply distributor. Discard all ice from automatic ice machines.
- You can use tap water for hand washing. In addition to using soap we are ordering the use of a commercial hand sanitizers used after washing hands. If water that has been boiled 5 minutes is used, be sure that the water is cooled before use.
- All equipment and utensils must be washed and sanitized with bottled or boiled water, or Use the existing automatic dish machine or the 3-compartment sink. Make certain that the sanitization step is being properly conducted (sanitizer concentration/temperature).
Nursing Homes / Personal Care / Daycare Facilities:
Based upon the type of facility and whether food service operations are taking place, refer to the above-mentioned measures. You should also observe the following precautions:
- Do not drink from water fountains.
- Monitor patients/clients/children closely for signs and symptoms of gastrointestinal illness.
- All employees with diarrhea illness should be regulated by standard rules of exclusion from work.
- Do not use un-boiled tap water to treat skin wounds, and in nursing homes, restrict burn patients and patients with open sores or wounds from whirlpool treatments.
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health has set up a 211 phone line for questions or concerns regarding the Boil Water Advisory.
Town of Saugus Environmental Health Advisory May 2, 2010
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