DOH advises public to drink safe water

MANILA, Philippines - Health Secretary Enrique Ona yesterday advised the public to ensure that their drinking water is safe as he warned of possible outbreaks of water-borne diseases due to massive flooding.

“Water must be purified to ensure that it is clean and fit for human consumption. Water that is not safe to drink could make you sick from a few hours or up to several weeks after taking it,” Ona said in an advisory.

He urged the public to use clean water for drinking, preparing beverages, cooking, and brushing teeth, washing food and cooking tools and to clean the hands and face to avoid diarrhea.

Ona said clear water is not necessarily safe to drink.

“Purifying it by boiling or disinfection would make it potable,” he said.

Ona said water must be filtered to trap and remove large impurities with the use of any clean cloth or coffee filter.

“If the water is cloudy, it can be made to stand for half a day, after which clear water can be scooped and then filtered,” he said.

Water should be boiled for two minutes to kill all potential germs, he added.

“Boiled water that has cooled could be used. Stirring it or putting it from one clean container to another container several times or adding a pinch of salt or powdered juice can improve taste,” he said.

He said adding two drops of five-percent chlorine solution or unscented bleach for every liter could also disinfect water.

“Allow it to stand for an hour. If a faint chlorine smell is detected after an hour, then it is safe to drink. Repeat the procedure if the smell could be detected after the first try. If it does not have the faint chlorine smell on the third try, then the water must be discarded since it may contain many germs,” Ona said.

He said chlorinated water could be transferred to clean containers for several times to improve its taste.

“Local governments and relief missions should ensure that containers used for rationing water are clean to prevent contamination,” he said.