Under a boil water advisory, can you use it to water your vegetable garden?

Question

Ok, I assume the answer is no. But under a boil water advisory, can you use it to water your vegetable garden? What about if it doesn’t contact the fruit or vegetables?

Answer 1

If fruit and vegetables are watered with contaminated water then the plant can carry the bacteria on their skin and it will continue to breed while growing.  

Soaking the produce with a chlorine water solution will kill the surface bacteria.

The best option would be to water the flowers with the contaminated water and boil the water for the veg.

Answer 2

That depends on the nature of the boil water advisory, what bacteria are present, what vegetables are in need of watering, and what stage the vegetables are at.

A fruit/vegetable that you eat raw, that has crevices, such as a strawberry, no.  The bacteria will lodge in around the seeds.

A smooth skinned fruit/vegetable will be easily cleaned (with your boiled water and soap) before eating, ie tomato.

Roots, like carrots don't matter.

Don't water them right before you eat them.

Botulism and salmonela are naturally occuring soil bacteria anyways, that is where chickens pick up salmonela.  Onions and the like get botulism bacteria from the soil, and improperly cooked fried onions kept warm (not hot) on a barbeque or stove (think hot dog vendors) cause botulism outbreaks.

If it is E. coli, then you have to be more careful.

Clean all your veggies in clean water before you eat them.  Contact your local health department for the nature of the boil water advisory and for steps that they would suggest for your specific advisory.

Answer 3

Sure you can use boiled water.  Just be sure to add fertilizer and nutrients.  I also have a 10 gallon empty can that I collect rain water in and use that water to water my plants.

Answer 4

yes,

water your garden