Fort Worth, Texas,
28
December
2016
|
13:03 PM
America/Chicago

Boil water notice: What would happen if you drink it?

Water line break impacts Mineral Wells, Texas

If you are one of the residents impacted by a boil water notice in Mineral Wells, Texas, you may wonder what that actually means to you and your child.

Well, first of all don’t wonder to the point of trying the water. Follow the city's advice:

“To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and for making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source.

“When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice.”

And what would happen if you did drink the water?

“If a child were to get sick from drinking the contaminated water, the most likely outcome would be intestinal infections that cause diarrhea,” said Mary Suzanne Whitworth, M.D., medical director of Infectious Diseases at Cook Children’s. “Some of these can cause severe diarrhea leading to dehydration such as E. coli (and related bacteria). Others like giardia and cryptosporidium (which are parasites) often lead to chronic diarrhea that can last for weeks."

About the source

Mary Suzanne Whitworth, M.D. is the medical director of Infectious Diseases at Cook Children’s, which offers care for children and teens with diseases caused by bacteria, parasites, fungi or viruses. Our team provides a broad range of services including diagnosis, inpatient and outpatient consultations, immune deficiency evaluations and treatment of recurring infections.

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