ATLANTA — Atlanta residents and business owners are continuing to deal with the fallout from several key water main breaks, which prompted a boil water advisory for parts of the city.
But what happens if you accidentally drink contaminated water during an advisory? 11Alive spoke with the Fulton County Board of Health about what people need to know as the advisory continues.
What are the chances of getting sick if you drink water during the advisory?
According to the Fulton County Board of Health Director of Environmental Health Brandon Leftwich, most people who happen to drink water during an advisory are not likely to get sick.
"If a person accidentally drinks water without knowing when we're under a boil water advisory, the likelihood of them getting sick is very slim," Leftwich stated. "But it also depends on that person's immune system as well."
What kind of diseases do people need to watch out for?
Leftwich said that in the natural environment, one will find E. Coli.
"We have a lot of these things that we find in the environment; we find it inside of us as well," he stated.
So, when it's exposed to a person in large amounts, that's when one tends to get sick.
What possible symptoms could a person experience if they get sick?
But for those who do get sick from drinking the water, the symptoms are typically similar to those people experience when they have food poisoning. For example, nausea, diarrhea and low cramping.
The timeline for when symptoms can appear depends on a person's immune system. In general, Leftwich recommends consulting with a physician if experiencing any of those issues.
What to remember to do following a boil water advisory
After a boil water advisory is lifted, there are some steps to take to ensure there's no lingering contamination. For those who have any appliances that run off of a water line, one should make sure to flush the water lines out by running the appliances and running flasks for five to 10 minutes to ensure bacteria is removed.
If there's any ice in the ice machines, Leftwich also recommended dumping the ice and creating new ones because the ice could have also been contained by the boil water advisory. Any water that was there during the advisory should be removed.