by Morgan Dewey
After the Orange County Water and Sewer Authority declared a Boil Water Advisory in Chapel Hill, many students were left wondering what exactly that meant and how they would be affected. The idea that the water was not safe to drink was clear, but what exactly is a Boil Water Advisory?
A Boil Water Advisory takes effect when the water, due to a leakage or broken pipe, is no longer fit to be consumed. Consumption includes drinking, brushing teeth, and making ice among other things. Basically, any time you ingest the water is no longer safe under a Boil Water Advisory. The water is recommended to be boiled for one minute at least before using it for any of these tasks. You can bathe, but only if you do no swallow any of the water. The advisory is largely precautionary; it is unlikely that you will consume anything dangerous but it is not worth taking the risk. Some people around Chapel Hill may have seen brown water coming out of their faucets. The brown water is a sign of sediment, or dirt, getting into the water. The sediment on its own is not cause for alarm but the water should definitely not be consumed just in case something else is in there.
The risks with drinking water that may not be safe to drink are worth buying some bottled water. The water can cause a fever, diarrhea or nausea. The potential bacteria that could enter the water include those that cause cholera, giardia, norovirus, and typhoid fever as well as the E. coli bacteria. These illnesses are largely nonfatal with medical treatment, but drinking the water is not worth the slight chance you may end up with cholera. Boiling the water first kills these microbes and makes the water safe to drink. A Boil Water Advisory minimizes the risk that anyone with contaminated water might get sick. Overall, drinking bottled water or boiling it first is the best bet during this type of water crisis.
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