She said bacteria collect on rugs and hoses because they grow naturally in a warm, moist, and wet environment.
When collecting samples, she said, the bacteria are found but they usually came from the rug.
At private houses and commercial establishments, the storage tanks are very vulnerable to bacteria, she said.
Yelin said it’s the responsibility of homeowners to regularly clean their water storage.
“If people have water tanks and they are not maintained, bacteria will grow in a wet environment with natural organic materials,” she said.
She recommended cleaning the water storage and tank every six months, depending on its size, aside from putting chlorine regularly to kill bacteria.
Private well owners, like companies and hotels, are responsible for their own water testing whose results are submitted to the Division of Environmental Quality or to the CUC water laboratory, she said.
Yelin said bacteria are still found in CUC’s water system when there’s a leak in the pipe or when there’s a problem with the chlorine pump.
When a power outage occurs, especially during a typhoon, the consistent distribution of adequately treated public water supply will not be possible, she said.
CUC will advise the general public to boil the water prior to consumption.
She said water can be purified by adding a small amount of household bleach.
The dosage varies. For 1 gallon container size, 5 drops of bleach; 5 gallons, 20 drops; 55 gallons, 1 teaspoon; 100 gallons, two teaspoons; 500 gallons, two tablespoons; and 1,000 gallons, four tablespoons.
Yelin said after treatment, water should be allowed to stand in a covered container for at least 30 minutes before using.
The CUC laboratory collects sample for total coliform and e-coli.
Total coliform is commonly found in the environment but it’s not usually harmful to people, Yelin said.
Still, total coliform serves as an indicator if there are other types of bacteria present.
It’s the goal of the CUC labortary to ensure that there are no bacteria in the water, Yelin said.
