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It is not often thought about, but a heavy storm, rainfall, and flood can affect the water systems we use every day to maintain our health and hygiene. With the excessive movement of wind and water, bacteria and other impurities can have an opportunity to settle into previously clean water sources. Here’s what you should know about keeping your water systems safe during a heavy rain and storm season.
How Do Storms Affect the Safety of Water Supplies?
When it comes to where people are sourcing their drinking water, private wells are an increasingly popular option. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, over 15 million people use a private well system to extract their drinking water just in the US alone. Using a private well to source drinking water involves putting in a larger system in underground that can serve one or more residence depending on the size. However, if storm, hurricane or massive flood strikes, private wells may be filled with bacteria and other with contaminants from residual rain water. Pressure and wind from many natural disasters such as flooding, earthquakes, or even landslides can get into your private well and possibly infect it.
Additionally, contamination due to storms and other natural disasters is possible in a public water system as well. The movement of bodies of waters such as lakes and rivers can be so strong during a storm that rainwater can get into the sewage system and carry bacteria and contaminants into the water. This is a huge issue when it comes to the occurace of hurricanes, as the high volumes of water can create massive floods and a lot of overflow of water, which tends to end up in the public sewage systems. When public water systems become tainted, it becomes increasingly harder to test for harmful bacterial contamination than a private system just simply due to the amount of water there is to account for.
Along with the water systems meant for drinking, the water you swim in could be tainted due to a storm or flood as well. If your pool is not properly convered during a storm, wind can bring debris and possible contaminants into your pool water. As well, heavy rainfall can dilute a pool’s chemistry, making chemicals used to treat a pool less effective. With treatment solutions being not as effective, it heightens the risk of harmful bacteria seeping into swimming water and potentially making pool dwellers ill.
So, no matter if it’s a private well, public water line, or swimming pool, if a severe storm or flood has hit it is important to test and treat the water before consuming.
Possible Bacterial and Non-Bacterial Contaminants
As mentioned, storms and floods can overflow a water source and potentially contaminate it. This could be detrimental if that water source is used for everyday needs such as cooking, drinking and bathing. There are many different types of contaminants that could be present in a water source after a storm, hurricane, or flood which could cause illness, so it is important to test for these particular impurities after a storm has ended.
In private wells and public drinking lines, there are a whole host of bacterial cultures that could be brought into water through a storm, hurricane, or flood. These include many gastrointestinal illnesses such as E-coli, Norovirus, Cryptosporidium, Campylobacter, Rotavirus, Salmonella, Giardia, Hepatitis A, Shigella as well as other harmful matter such as Arsenic, Lead, Radon, Copper and Nitrate. Bacteria and other toxins can get swept in by nearby open water or even an adjacent septic system. In addition to all of these contaminants, storms can wash chemicals such as gasoline or heating oil or even mud and sediment into pipes or wells and damage the structure.
It is critical that you make sure water sources are tested and that all contaminants and bacteria are removed in order to assure no illnesses are spread, especially to those whose immune systems are compromised such as pregnant women, children, the elderly and those with serious conditions that could affect the immune system.
Testing and Treating your Water
Following the previous sentiments, testing and treating water sources is vital after a storm or flood to ensure there is no harmful contaminants that got into the system, and that if there is, that it is treated properly.
If using a private well system, the water should be tested annually, but at least every spring. However, test more frequently if those who are immune compromised will be using the water source, or if there was a particularly bad storm, like a hurricane. For a public plumbing system, you can test the water yourself with an at home test kit. However, for a private well system and a more comprehensive test of many different kinds of pathogens and contaminants, contact your local health department and have a contractor test your particular structure. This is especially important after a hurricane, as professionals can work to target a particular source of pathogens getting into the water.
When treating a private well or plumbing for any bacteria, you have to make sure you ensure you clean the system with 4-6% chlorine bleach to disinfect any lingering germs. For any chemical contamination, you will need to have your well tested in order to make sure the water is safe to consume. You may also treat any private pools with chlorine or algaecide in order to thoroughly sanitize the pool and get it ready for use.
If a private well or public plumbing system is unusable after a flood or storm due to contamination, it is important that you stick to drinking bottled water or boil water for a few minutes in order to kill of most of the harmful bacteria.
To reiterate, it is possible that a storm, flood, or hurricane can negatively affect the water you use every day. If you are worried about your water source, especially if using a private well, get your system tested and use bleach to disinfect any water you plan to use in order to stay safe and healthy. Please share with us if you have experience any problem with your water after a storm.