TAMA COUNTY - If you know or suspect that your private well has been compromised by flood waters STOP using your well water immediately for drinking, cooking, laundry and bathing.
Obtain water known to be safe from another source or use bottled water. DO NOT boil your flood contaminated well water. Boiling flood contaminated well water will concentrate any chemicals that may be in the water.

After flood waters have receded and it is safe to check your well, it is important to shock chlorinate your well with bleach. Information on the chlorination process can be found HERE.

Two days after chlorination has occurred, the water in the well needs to be tested by a laboratory. Continue to use bottled water or a safe water supply for drinking, cooking, laundry and bathing until a laboratory has verified that your well water is safe to drink.
For more information on well chlorination or water testing call Lee Wiges at Tama County Public Health at 641-484-4788 or toll free 1-866-484-4788.

For more information (in English & Spanish) on flood-related disease precautions and clean-up go to: www.idph.state.ia.us/adper/flood.asp or call Tama County Public Health at 641-484-4788 or toll free 1-866-484-4788.

**If you do not have access to a computer, all public libraries in Tama County do have computers available for public use.