Boil-water advisory

Bring the water to the boil in a saucepan or kettle. Are you using an electric kettle? Make sure to leave the cover open. Most electric kettles will continue boiling if the lid is left open. Boil the water for at least 3 minutes. After that, it is safe to consume and use.

Providing safe and reliable tap water is our highest priority. That is why we test our water every day. Sometimes we detect contamination, such as E. coli or enterococci. Bacteria cannot enter our tap water on their own. They always come from an external source, for example, as a result of maintenance work or a burst water main. When this happens, we can no longer guarantee the quality of the tap water, and we issue a boil-water advisory.

Unfortunately, tap water is sometimes not clean enough for direct use. This may be the result of a malfunction, leakage or maintenance work. For example, when we are working on a water main, there is a small chance that a contamination could enter the pipe. If this happens, we will issue a boil-water advisory. Sometimes, we issue a boil-water advisory as a precaution. This happens when we cannot be certain that the tap water is completely safe. 

Boil your tap water for at least 3 minutes before:

• Drinking it
• Making coffee, tea, lemonade, infant formula or other drinks with it
• Brushing your teeth with it
• Washing fruit and vegetables with it
• Sterilising babies' bottles and pacifiers with it

Unfortunately, we cannot say in advance how long a boil-water advisory will remain in place. They are always temporary and usually only last several days. You can generally expect them to last between four and eight days. In rare cases, it may take longer. We will let you know when you no longer need to boil your tap water.

This boil-water advisory applies to everyone, but it is especially important for:

• Babies
• Older adults
• Pregnant women
• People with weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions

These groups are more susceptible to stomach and intestinal illness if they are exposed to harmful bacteria.

It may be that your tap water comes from a different area than your neighbour's tap water. In that case, they will be able to continue drinking their tap water, but you will not. We take water samples in different locations in your neighbourhood, which allows us to determine very precisely where the tap water is contaminated. 

Waternet tests the tap water every day. Tap water may not contain any bacteria that can make people ill. We therefore take water samples every day at dozens of locations. If we are not sure if the water is completely safe, we issue a boil-water advisory until we are sure. 

We are investigating the cause of the contamination and taking measures to resolve it. For example, we may flush the pipes or the storage reservoir. This helps remove the contamination from the tap water. Our laboratory is also taking and analysing water samples. This will help to determine the cause of the contamination and to check whether the tap water is safe again.

No. The water supplied by Waternet is still safe to use, just not for immediate consumption. After boiling it for 3 minutes, the water is safe to drink. We are therefore not distributing any (bottled) water.

No, there is no need to buy bottled water. Once your tap water has been boiled for 3 minutes, it is safe to use again. We ask you to leave bottled water in the shops for people who really need it, such as people who are unable to boil their water, the elderly or families with young children. Although they too can use tap water safely after boiling it, doing so may be more challenging for them.

We recommend that you boil your tap water for 3 minutes before drinking it or using it. If you own a boiling-water tap, the water may already have been heated correctly. Please contact the manufacturer or supplier of your tap to check whether it meets this requirement. 

Yes. Simply boil the water for 3 minutes before using it to make coffee.

Yes, but boil your tap water for 3 minutes before using it to brush your teeth.

Yes. Pets can continue to drink tap water during a boil-water advisory. Only very low levels of bacteria have been detected, and these are not harmful to animals. Animals are generally exposed to far more bacteria through other sources, such as grooming themselves.

Our previous recommendation was to give boiled water to indoor pets that never went outside and drank only tap water. However, research has shown that this is not necessary.

If you have any questions about your water softener or water filter, please contact the manufacturer or supplier.

We recommend boiling your tap water for 3 minutes. Water purification tablets can also make the water safe to use, if you follow the instructions on the packaging carefully. However, using purification tablets or a water filter is usually more expensive. It also takes longer than boiling water and may affect the taste of the water. For these reasons, we recommend boiling your tap water for 3 minutes.

If you did not use any tap water during the boil-water advisory, let your taps run for 1 minute. If you did use tap water during the advisory, you do not need to do anything.

No. E. coli does not attach itself to the pipes. The water distribution network is 'self-cleaning'. This ensures the pipes remain clean. In addition, we flush water through the mains at high speed at least once a day. This prevents dirt and other contaminants from remaining behind in the pipes.