When we issue a boil-water advisory, we recommend boiling your tap water for 3 minutes before drinking it or using it to prepare food. We do this when we find bacteria that do not belong in the water during an inspection. Boiling the water kills those bacteria.
The water should boil for 3 minutes to kill all bacteria. For example, in a kettle or pan.
Unfortunately, sometimes the tap water is temporarily not clean enough. This can be the result of a problem or maintenance. For example, when a pipe has been open. If so, there is a small chance that dirt has entered the pipe. As a precaution, you will then receive a boil-water advisory.
No. In most cases, we issue a boil-water advisory as a precaution. Meanwhile, we investigate whether there are bacteria in the water that could be bad for you. By issuing a boil-water advisory, we make sure that the chances of someone getting sick are as low as possible.
A boil-water advisory usually lasts 4 days. If Waternet finds bacteria that do not belong in tap water, we always take additional tap water samples to check the quality. These checks take a few days. We will let you know when we are sure the water is safe to drink.
Waternet examines the tap water every day. Tap water should not contain bacteria that can make people sick. We therefore take water samples at dozens of sites every day. If we are not sure if the water is completely safe, we issue a boil-water advisory until we are sure.
There can be several reasons why bacteria get into tap water. This can happen, for example, if groundwater has entered a pipe. Or if a pipe leaks during excavation work or in case of a pipe burst.
That depends on how bad the contamination is. First, we will flush the piping system with water. If that is not enough, we will flush the pipes with chlorine to kill the bacteria. If the water is very contaminated, we may also decide to temporarily add chlorine to the tap water. We will continue to take water samples afterwards to check if the pollution has disappeared.
If it concerns a small area, Waternet will notify you personally. We do this by letter or telephone. Are there problems in a wider area? Then we will inform people through local media, such as RTV Noord-Holland and/or AT5. You will also find information on our website.
It may be that your tap water comes from a different area than your neighbour's tap water. In that case, they will be able to continue drinking their tap water and you will not. We take water samples in different places, which allows us to know very precisely where the tap water is contaminated.
No. This kind of situation almost never causes complaints. If you do have stomach or bowel problems, it is best to see your GP.
Do you have any stomach or bowel problems? Please contact your GP.
The bacteria E-coli and enterococci are found in the faeces of humans and animals. Although mostly harmless, they can sometimes be dangerous for vulnerable people. For example, in children and the elderly. They can give you stomach and bowel problems, such as diarrhoea.
No, you cannot. In this type of appliance, the water boils for a very short time, or stays below boiling point. Boil the water used in this type of appliance for 3 minutes as well.
Yes, water from a boiling water tap is kept at temperature for longer than 3 minutes, so you do not need to boil that water again.
Yes, it is better if you boil the water to be sure.
You can shower and bathe as normal. Do make sure not to swallow any water.
This depends on your pet. Does your pet go outside and drink water from ditches, ponds and puddles from time to time? Then you do not need to boil the water. For pets that only drink tap water, we do recommend boiling the water for 3 minutes.
No. E.coli does not adhere to pipes. We design the pipe network to be ‘self-cleaning’. This ensures the pipes remain clean. At least once a day, we spray water at a high speed through the pipes. As a result, no dirt remains in the pipework or on the pipe wall.
Berry, the digital assistent