DRINKING WATER Tips help to provide better taste

Boiled drinking water doesn't have to taste bad.
LISBON -- Area residents asked to boil drinking water should do so with care to prevent illness, Ohio State University Extension officials said.
Boiling drinking water is a precaution against bacteria contamination of drinking water due to problems such as flooding or waterline breaks, said Heather Ours, Columbiana County extension's family and consumer sciences program assistant.
Because of the recent flooding and loss of municipal water service, many area residents are being asked to boil drinking water.
Ours said boiling is the safest way to purify water, but boiling doesn't mean the water has to have a bad taste. Bring water to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, keeping in mind that water will evaporate.
Keep it cool
Let water cool before drinking, Ours said. Putting oxygen back into water will improve the taste, she said. To add oxygen, pour the water back and forth between two containers, she said.
Drinking water can also be purified through chlorination, but Ours warned that bleach safety must be followed strictly during chlorination to prevent any health problems.
Bleach should contain 5.25 percent sodium hypochlorite and no soap. Watch for bleach containers that say "not for personal use," she said.
Ours said add two drops of bleach per quart of water, or four drops if the water is cloudy, stir and let stand for 30 minutes. If the water does not taste and smell of chlorine at that point, add another dose and let stand another 15 minutes, she said.