OKEECHOBEE  The Florida Department of Health in Okeechobee County (DOH-Okeechobee) advises residents living in homes with private wells affected by flood waters to take precautions against disease-causing organisms that may make their water unsafe to drink.

DOH-Okeechobee recommends ONE of the following:

1. Boil tap water and holding it at rolling boil for at least one minute. Let it cool before using it for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, cooking, or washing dishes;

2. OR disinfect tap water by adding 8 drops of plain unscented household bleach (4 to 6% strength), which is about 1/8 tsp or a dime sized puddle, per gallon of water. If a higher strength bleach is used (8.25 percent strength), only add 7 drops of bleach. Mix the solution and let it stand for 30 minutes. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, repeat the procedure once.

Note: Use a container that has a cap or cover for disinfecting and storing water to be used for drinking. This will prevent contamination. In addition, containers for water should be rinsed with a bleach solution of one tablespoon bleach per gallon of water before reusing them.

3. OR use commercially-available bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.
After the flooding subsides:
For further information, go to http://www.floridahealth.gov/ or contact DOH-Okeechobee at 863-462-5800.