NAPLES — Public health officials are recommending Collier residents with private wells boil their water and have their wells checked because of possible contamination from flooding.

The health department issued the boil water notice to residents on private wells, in part because some people may not realize floodwater with bacteria can seep into their wells, said Deb Millsap, spokeswoman for the Collier County Health Department.

“We don’t expect a lot of that,” she said. “It’s just a reminder.”

In addition, people may assume they have no problem because Tropical Storm Fay was a smaller storm and so residents in Golden Gate Estates and rural areas should take notice.

After a storm, surface water carrying bacteria such as E. coli and cholera and other organisms can get into wells and cause people to become sick.

Early Wednesday, Florida’s Surgeon General Dr. Ana M. Viamonte Ros told reporters at a briefing in Tallahassee that residents in Collier who also get their water from municipal sources may want to boil their water because of possible contamination.

Collier health officials weren’t notified of her recommendation and there were no reports to the local health department of water contamination problems for Collier County government or city of Naples utilities.

The state health department later revised its recommendation to cover only people with private wells.

In that event, they should boil water first before using it or disinfect it by adding eight drops of plain unscented household bleach for each gallon of water being used. If the water is cloudy after 30 minutes, they need to repeat the procedure.

After the floodwater has subsided, they need to have their well water tested by the health department or by a private company certified to perform a water analysis.

Both the well and all of the household plumbing need to be disinfected to be sure that all infectious organisms have been killed. If you have water treatment devices, the membrane cartridges and filters need to be changed.

Common unscented laundry bleach can be used as an effective chlorine disinfectant.

Likewise, residents with septic tanks should use water sparingly to avoid backup if their septic system doesn’t have adequate drainage and there is floodwater in their yard. To avoid septic backup, residents shouldn’t wash laundry and limit toilet flushing until the floodwater subsides.

In case of septic overflow in homes, family members and pets need to be kept away from the contaminated area, which needs to be disinfected with bleach and water.

For more information, go to www.doh.state.fl.us/environment/water/manual/floodinf.htm.

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Here is the full statement released by the Collier County Health Department:

I spoke with our Environmental Health & Engineering department at the Collier County Health Department and we have not been notified of any of the private or county utilities having problems at their water plants or any loss of pressure in their water lines (which, of course for central water systems would be a reason to boil water). We put out a boil water notice yesterday as a precaution for people who have flooded private water wells – not central water.

Deb Millsap, M.Ed., R.D., L.D.

Director of Nutrition & Health Education & PIO

Collier County Health Department

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