Commercial Establishments

General Procedures

Do not serve or consume:

• water that has not been disinfected,
• ice or drinks made with water that has not been disinfected, or
• raw foods rinsed with water that has not been disinfected.

Discontinue service of equipment with water line connections (e.g., post-mix beverage machines, spray misters, auto-fill coffee/tea makers, instant hot water heaters, ice machines, etc.).

Discard ice made prior to the boil water advisory issuance and discontinue making ice. Use commercially-manufactured ice.

All employees with diarrheal illness should be regulated by standard rules of exclusion from work.

Drinking Water

For drinking water, use:

• commercially-bottled water
• and/or water that has been disinfected for Cryptosporidium by:
  • boiling at a rolling boil for 1 minute (at altitudes greater than 6,562 feet (>2,000 m), boil water for 3 minutes), or
  • distilling
• and/or water hauled from an approved public water supply in a covered sanitized container
• and/or water from a licensed drinking water hauler truck.

Cooking and Food Preparation

For cooking and food preparation:

• Discard any ready-to-eat food prepared with water prior to the discovery of the water contamination.
• Prepare/cook ready-to-eat food using the drinking water alternatives listed above and/or restrict the menu to items that do not require water.

For equipment/utensils/tableware in cooking and food preparation:

• Use single service/use articles and/or clean and sanitize equipment/utensils/tableware using the drinking water alternatives listed above. Follow the established procedures to wash, rinse, and sanitize.
• Cryptosporidium on equipment/utensils/tableware may be disinfected using dishwashing machines that have a dry cycle or a final rinse that exceeds 113°F for 20 minutes or 122°F for 5 minutes or 162°F for 1 minute.
• Discontinue operations when inventories of clean equipment/utensils/tableware are exhausted.

Handwashing

For handwashing:

• Wet your hands with the drinking water alternatives listed above and apply soap.
• Lather your hands by rubbing them together with the soap. Be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails.
• Rinse your hands well under running water – if running water is not available, water may be poured on your hands by another person.
• Dry your hands using a clean towel or air dry them.

When The Boil Water Advisory is Cancelled

• Make sure equipment with water line connections (e.g., filters, post-mix beverage machines, spray misters, auto-fill coffee/tea makers, instant hot water heaters, ice machines, glass washers, dishwashers, etc.) is flushed, cleaned, and sanitized according to manufacturers’ instructions.
• Managers of large buildings with water-holding reservoirs should consult their facility engineer and health department about draining the reservoir.
• Flush pipes and faucets. Run cold water faucets continuously for at least 5 minutes.
• Flush drinking fountains. Run water continuously for at least 5 minutes.
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
• Drain and refill hot water heaters set below 113°F.
• Change all point-of-entry and point-of-use water filters, including those associated with equipment that uses water.