Well users urged to boil water in the aftermath of Irma flooding

Anyone with a flooded well is warned against drinking water straight out of the well until disinfecting can be done.

The Florida Department of Health is putting a boil water notice in effect for anyone with flooded water wells, according to Nassau County Emergency Management. If your well was covered by flooding from Irma, the water could be infected with harmful organisms.

With water from a flooded well, you should hold it at a rolling boil for at least one minute before using it for drinking, cooking, making ice, brushing your teeth, or even washing your dishes. You can also disinfect water by adding about an eighth of a teaspoon- or eight drops- of plain, unscented 4-6% strength household bleach per gallon of water and then letting it stand for a half hour. If the water is cloudy after it stands, you should repeat the process.

You can also use bottled water, especially for mixing baby formula.  Make sure to use a container with a cap or cover to store any disinfected water, to prevent contamination.

Once flooding has subsided, you need to disinfect your well. The Florida Department of Health has full guidelines about how to do that, then how to get your water tested to ensure it's safe.