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Food Service Establishment Guidelines for Boil Water Advisories
- All water that is to be provided directly to your customers for drinking must be commercially "bottled" water.
- All foods (e.g. fruits and vegetables) that need to be washed, rinsed or soaked must be done with commercially bottled water. Boiled water may also be used, however use caution when transferring water to cooling area. Supermarkets must turn off spray hoses, used to spray their fruits and vegetables, for the duration of the advisory.
- All water used as an ingredient in food products must be commercially bottled. (ie. puddings, dressings, drinks, condiments, sauces, etc.). However, when preparing food, which will be boiled in water, you may do so as long as the water is brought to a hard boil for a minimum of 1 minute.
- Machines used to dispense cold beverages MUST NOT be used (i.e. slush machines, carbonated beverage machines, iced cappuccino machines etc.) during the advisory. The lines connected directly to the tap water for mixing must be disconnected. Canned or bottled beverages must be used exclusively.
- Coffee brewers and hot tea towers can operate if water temperatures are maintained between 195ºF-250ºF. These high temperatures are capable of destroying microorganisms and should be verified by management daily, using a probe thermometer (hot cappuccino and hot chocolate machines can be used if temperatures meet or exceed the above temperatures).
- All ice must be made with commercially "bottled" water, or must originate from a commercial ice supply distributor. Ice machines must be emptied and not used for the duration of the boil water advisory. Note: Discard all food and beverages made with water. Disinfect all containers containing these products.
- Commercial dishwashing may be done provided that wash water is sufficiently maintained at a temperature not lower than 60ºC or higher than 71ºC. The sanitizing rinse water must be maintained at a temperature not lower than 82ºC and is applied for a minimum of ten seconds in each sanitizing cycle. An alternative sanitizing chemical solution as described in the Ontario Food Premises Regulation may also be used.
- Dishes may be washed by hand using a three compartment sink (wash, rinse and sanitize
respectively), provided that they are rinsed in the second sink in water at a temperature not lower than 43ºC and sanitized in the third sink by immersing in a chlorine solution of 100 parts per million of available chlorine (this can be verified by using chlorine test strips). Other methods of sanitizing can be used as described in the Ontario Food Premises Regulation. Note: Single-use, disposable dishware and utensils may also be utilized. Countertops, chopping boards or utensils which have come in contact with raw meat should be washed with soap and hot water first, then disinfected with a strong bleach solution. Mix ¼ cup (60ml) bleach in to 1 gallon (4.5) water for this purpose. Do not reuse or store this solution, but make it fresh daily.
Good handwashing must be emphasized to all staff.
If the boil water advisory has been issued as a precaution and there is no outbreak of human illness, there is no need for additional hand disinfection with bleach solution or alcohol, using the measures described below.
If the boil water advisory has been issued because of an outbreak or the presence of E. coli, water can be used for hand washing after the following emergency water treatment.
Wash hands with liquid soap and rinse using the following solution:
· Place 1 tsp (5ml) of liquid household bleach in 1 gallon (4.5 l) of water. · Mix and let stand for at least
15 minutes before using.· The mixture can be transferred to smaller, clean containers for use. A one gallon hand pump works well.
Do not wash hands directly in solution, unless wash water is emptied after each use.
Label the containers as follows: "Chlorine Bleach Solution, apply to hands after washing. Do not drink."
This solution must be provided in customer washrooms as well as staff washrooms and at all hand basins.
Alcohol-based hand disinfectants, containing more than 60% alcohol, may be used after washing hands with soap or in situations where water is not available.Signs advising not to drink the tap water must be posted at all sinks.
Any employee reporting they are suffering from diarrheal illness must be excluded from work until they have submitted two negative stool cultures, 24 hours apart.