Janet Baraclough wrote:
> The message >
> from "Jean B." > contains these words:
>
>> Janet Baraclough wrote:
>>> The message >
>>> from "Jean B." > contains these words:
>>>
>>>> "During a boil order, can my family take showers or baths using
>>>> tap water?
>>>> "The risk of bathing in tap water is uncertain and so should be
>>>> avoided particularly by people with open wounds or who are
>>>> immunocompromised. For those people who choose to shower or bathe
>>>> in the tap water, minimize the time spent in the water and be sure
>>>> to keep your eyes and mouth closed. Babies and young children
>>>> should not bathe or shower in tap water because they often swallow
>>>> some water accidentally."
>>> Jean, if you have a hot shower, or draw piping hot bath/basin water
>>> from the hot tap and let it cool, the heating of the water will
>>> have killed any bacterial contamination. So will boiling your drinking
>>> water. Use boiled water for cleaning teeth.
>>>
>>>
>>> Janet
>
>> I think I am more interested in my theory that if I don't drain
>> any water from the hot water heater, it may avoid contamination.
>
>> Is hot tap water hot enough to kill bacteria? What temperature
>> would that have to be?
>
> The question is, how hot does the water get in your water heater. The
> answer to that is on its temperature gauge.
> If you think it's not hot enough , turn it up.
> You already rely on your tap hot water to kill bacteria every day,
> in personal washing, laundry, housecleaning etc.
>
> Our last place frequently ran out of water (for days or weeks) and we
> used river water ,
> or rainwater from grungy garden tanks, for washing clothes, dishes,
> vegetables, and people. I only boiled water for drinking and teeth
> cleaning (cooking killed bugs anyway) . Nobody ever got ill.
>
> Janet
>
>
Yes, we'd have to turn the temperature up--and then take care not
to be scalded. I guess we'll get directives about all of this.

It is kind-of odd, because frequently one might ingest a bit of
water if swimming in a pond (or elsewhere).

--
Jean B.