In an emergency situation where regular water service has been interrupted – like a hurricane, flood, or water pipe breakage – local authorities may recommend using only bottled water, boiled water, or disinfected water until regular water service is restored. The instructions below show you how to boil and disinfect water to kill most disease-causing microorganisms that may be present in the water. However, boiling or disinfection will not destroy other contaminants, such as heavy metals, salts, and most other chemicals. Show Print Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water document. ONLY USE WATER THAT HAS BEEN PROPERLY DISINFECTED FOR DRINKING, COOKING, MAKING ANY PREPARED DRINK, WASHING DISHES AND FOR BRUSHING TEETH.
*Bleach may contain 6 or 8.25% sodium hypochlorite. Additional Water Guidance
Other Disinfection MethodsIf you don’t have liquid bleach, you can use one of the other disinfection methods described below.
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How much bleach can you safely add to drinking water?Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water. How much bleach do I add to 55 gallon water for storage?For 55 gallons of water, add 4 1/2 teaspoons unscented liquid chlorine bleach (3 tablespoons if water is cloudy)
How much bleach should I put in water for storage?Water stored in thoroughly clean plastic or glass containers can be chemically disinfected for long-term storage by treating each gallon with 4 to 5 drops of unscented liquid chlorine bleach (Clorox or Purex type bleaches, containing 4% to 6% sodium hypochlorite). One teaspoon of bleach disinfects 5 gallons of water.
How much bleach does it take to preserve 1 gallon of water?Liquid Bleach Method
Use regular liquid bleach containing 5.25% sodium hypochlorite. Add 16 drops (about ¼ teaspoon) per gallon of water. The treated water should be mixed thoroughly and allowed to stand for 30 minutes before use. The water should have a slight bleach odor.
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