Joni Kristenson, Cook County Public Health Nurse, wants us all to be warm and safe during these cold winter months.
This week, she offers some advice on water — its usage and storage.
Keep a water supply of at least one gallon per person.
Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes break, so leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously. Keep the indoor temperature warm. Allow more heated air near pipes. Open kitchen cabinet doors under the kitchen sink.
If your pipes do freeze, do not thaw them with a torch. Thaw the pipes slowly with warm air from an electric hair dryer. If you cannot thaw your pipes, or if the pipes have broken open, use bottled water or get water from a neighbor’s home.
In an emergency — if no other water is available — snow can be melted for water. Bringing water to a rolling boil for one minute will kill most germs but won’t get rid of chemicals sometimes found in snow.
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