What to do with a softener in a boil advisory?

No. Kinetico says its water systems are meant for microbiologically safe water supplies, and that most in-home treatment systems are intended for water that is already safe. They improve water quality, but most don't make unsafe water safe to drink. If something has contaminated the water entering your home, Kinetico says it's likely your treatment system was affected too.

The EPA's filtration fact sheet makes a related point about home units. It says all units need some maintenance, that you should follow the manufacturer's replacement recommendations, and that activated carbon filters are designed to filter a certain amount of water before they clog and stop working. It doesn't say filters make an unsafe supply safe. That is why the advisory rules below come from the maker.

So the rule is simple. During an advisory, treat water from a softener, whole-house filter, refrigerator filter, under-sink filter or RO system the same as water from any other tap. Boil it before you drink it, or wait until the advisory ends.

Kinetico gives a short list:

• Bypass your treatment systems. Kinetico says to put your water treatment system into bypass mode if applicable. On a Kinetico softener, the bypass handle shows a yellow section when the softener is bypassed and a green section when it's in service.
• Shut off drinking taps you use often. Kinetico says to shut off refrigerator filters or other commonly used drinking water taps so no one uses them by habit.
• Stop using the softener, whole-house filters and drinking water filters. If you can't bypass a system, Kinetico says not to use water from it until your supply is declared safe and the system has been sanitized.
• Throw away ice and stored water. That includes ice cubes and water in pitchers and coffee makers that may be contaminated.
• Boil water for drinking and cooking. Kinetico says to bring water to a rolling boil for three minutes without a lid, then cool it and store it in a clean, covered container.
• Avoid swallowing water when you bathe. Kinetico says to take care not to consume any water while bathing or showering, and not to brush your teeth with unboiled water.

Pets follow the same rule. Kinetico says not to give pets water that hasn't been boiled.

### How long should you boil the water?

Two sources give different times. Kinetico says to boil for three minutes at a rolling boil. The EPA says to bring water to a rolling boil for at least one minute, and for three minutes at altitudes above 5,000 feet. The EPA also says to let the boiled water cool naturally and store it in clean, covered containers. Phoenix sits at roughly 1,100 feet, well below the EPA's altitude line. If your utility's notice gives its own boil time, follow the notice. Boiling longer than the minimum does no harm, so if you're unsure, use Kinetico's three minutes.

The EPA adds that boiling doesn't remove other contaminants, such as heavy metals, salts and most chemicals. If a notice is about chemical contamination rather than germs, boiling isn't the answer, so read the notice.

Don't put the system back in service yet. Kinetico says the treatment system must be sanitized once your water supply is microbiologically safe again. Its guidance is to:

1. 1Keep systems out of service until they have been sanitized.
2. 2Call your local Kinetico water expert. Kinetico says the dealer will sanitize your softener, drinking water systems and other water treatment units, and flush your water lines.
3. 3Change the filters. Kinetico says to change all water filters and filter media that may have been compromised. Its dealer will likely do this for you.
4. 4Run sanitizing cycles on appliances that use water, such as a dishwasher, coffee maker or tea kettle.

Kinetico's page doesn't describe a do-it-yourself sanitizing method, and it says to arrange sanitizing through a dealer. If you own another brand, check the owner's manual for its rule, and ask the manufacturer or your installer. Our page on how to change Kinetico K5 filters shows the sanitization kit step for that system, and our page on how to change a Kinetico softener prefilter covers the softener's sediment filter.

### What should you flush in the house itself?

Our boil water notice page has the household checklist: flush cold taps, run the hot water to cycle the heater, empty ice trays and dispensers, and run water-using appliances through an empty cycle. Those steps come from the general public-health guidance, and they apply alongside the equipment steps above.

The same logic applies to any brand. Most home treatment equipment is designed for water that is already safe, so bypass it if it has a bypass, avoid drinking from it during the advisory, and ask the maker how to sanitize it afterward. Kinetico's own guidance says that if you can't bypass a system, you shouldn't use its water until the supply is safe and the system is sanitized.

Some situations besides an advisory also call for sanitizing. Kinetico lists a new installation, plumbing that has been exposed to air, moving the system, and long periods of not using it. We cover the empty-house case on a separate page about shutting down a softener when you're away.

### What if the advisory is for a short time?

Kinetico's page makes no exception for length. It says that if there's a chance your water has been or is unsafe to drink, even for a short period, you shouldn't use your water, even if you have a treatment system installed. A one-day advisory still calls for the same bypass, boil and sanitize steps. Ask your dealer or the manufacturer if you're unsure whether a brief notice needs a full sanitizing visit.

### Where can you find the bypass valve?

Kinetico says to locate the bypass valve installed with your softener. On its softeners, the dial shows green when in service and yellow when bypassed, and it notes that many bypass valve styles exist. Find yours before you need it, and note which way it turns. Our page on where to use the water softener bypass valve explains what the valve does.

Call if you can't find or operate the bypass valve, if the valve leaks or sticks, or if you're not sure which taps feed which system. A bypass that won't turn or seal is a plumbing repair, and it's better fixed before the next advisory than during one. HQ Plumbing & Air is licensed and insured, gives free estimates and quotes an upfront price, and offers 24/7 service. For the equipment itself, ask the brand's dealer about sanitizing.