Boil water advisory in effect for Desbarats and area

Some residents east of the Sault are being told to boil their tap water.

Johnson Township said this afternoon it is now under a boil water advisory due to low water pressure.

The Feb. 21 advisory will remain in effect until further notice, the township, which includes the town of Desbarats, said in a news release.

The township offered the following guidance for those on the municipal water system while a boil water advisory is in effect:

Water must be brought to a rolling boil for at least one minute before use OR use an alternate water source (e.g. commercially bottled water) for any of the following examples:

• Drinking,
• brushing teeth,
• making infant formula, ice, tea, coffee, drink mixes, puddings, jellos, etc.,
• washing fruits or vegetables.

* Do not use auto-shutoff kettles or coffee makers because they may not reach a boil time of one minute*

How to wash dishes:

• Household dishwashers to be run on sanitize mode.
• If washing dishes by hand: - wash dishes with soap and hot water - rinse dishes with hot water - sanitize dishes by submerging in hot water mixed with unscented household bleach (1/2 tsp of bleach per 1 L of water). Allow to soak for 1 minute and let air dry.
• Alternate: use single-use disposable dishes/utensils.

How to wash hands:

• Wash as normal using tap water and a proper handwashing technique.
• After washing hands, use an alcohol-based hand gel disinfectant containing at least 70% alcohol.

How to bathe:

• Adults, adolescents, and older children may shower, bathe, or wash using tap water, but should avoid swallowing the water.
• Infants, toddlers and immunocompromised individuals should be sponge bathed in order to reduce the chance of them swallowing the water.

For more information, contact Algoma Public Health at 705-759-5286