Free situation plan
Water Outage and Contamination Preparedness
Build a safe water reserve, recognize the difference between public notices, and plan for drinking, food preparation, hygiene, sanitation, and resupply.
First actions
If this is happening now.
Slow down enough to identify the hazard, then protect life before property.
- 01
Read the exact wording of the local notice: boil-water, do-not-drink, do-not-use, or service outage.
- 02
Stop using questionable tap water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, ice, and infant formula until authorities say it is safe.
- 03
Use commercially bottled water first and follow local health-department instructions.
- 04
Do not try to make water containing fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material safe by boiling or disinfecting it.
Locally saved action plan
Prepare this situation before it happens.
Check each item only when it is complete. Progress stays in this browser and can be printed at any time.
Free printable backup
Keep the 72-hour checklist close.
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Free FlintReady resources
Learn, check, and practice.
The essential web guidance and public tools below remain free for every visitor.
Optional printable depth
Water Cut and Contamination 7-Day Playbook
A printable seven-day plan for notices, rationing, sanitation, resupply, special needs, and controlled restoration.
You do not need to purchase this to access the safety guidance above. The paid edition adds printable, offline, writable field pages.
Primary public-safety sources
Verify conditions at the source.
FlintReady organizes decisions. Government and local emergency authorities issue the alerts, orders, and condition-specific instructions.