Top Tips for Coping with Water Shortages in the Gloucestershire Floods
| Published: 25th July 2007 15:59 |
- Follow the advice of Severn Trent water company regarding the safety of tap water
- Boil any water that you take from a bowser in order to make it safe for consumption. The water put into the bowser is of tap water quality, but Severn Trent cannot guarantee that nothing has got into the bowser once it has left its site
- Avoid using water for anything that is non-vital. Prioritise your usage so that the water you have is used is not wasted. Having water for drinking and cooking is probably more important than having water for washing or cleaning
- Use bottled water or boiled bowser water for drinking, brushing teeth, washing food, cooking and making ice
- For those with babies and small infants: if mixing formula milk, use bowser or bottled water after it has been brought to the boil and cooled. Alternatively, use ready made formula milk
- If you have no power, use unboiled bottled water but use this feed immediately
- Flush toilets only for faecal waste. You do not need to flush after urinating
- Previously used water, for example, that from washing, bathing, or cooking can be used to flush toilets. You can also use rainwater (for example, from rainwater butts) to flush toilets. NB rainwater is never suitable for drinking as it may have been contaminated
- If the water company has advised that the domestic water supply is unsafe for drinking it is inadvisable to use this for bathing babies - bowser water or bottled water are safe alternatives
- Baby wipes and antibacterial sprays are a practical alternative to bathing for babies, small children and adults
- People are reminded to keep away from flood water - and children should not play in it. If you have to go into flood wear suitable protective clothing like wellington boots
- Further general health advice in relation to flooding is available on the Health Protection Agency's website at or contact NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visit their website.
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