Do we need to boil our water?

Flautalee · September 2011

I contacted my local water company to ask if I need to boil their water while on chemotherapy. They suggested going to their web site which basically stated that the US water supply is NOT free from Cryptosporidium. They said that the current ways to filter the water supply cannot remove this bacteria (or parasite, I'm not sure which). The web site said that immunocompromised people need to boil water before drinking it - that means us. They also said that home water filters do not remove this organism, that we need to boil the water. I would appreciate any information you might have about this topic. I also am wondering if bottled spring water is safe. My oncologist didn't bring this up to me - I just researched it on my own. Has anyone's oncologist mentioned this?

beacon800 · September 2011

I boil all our tap water anyway, and that's after I filter it! Chemo or not, who needs these creepy things in the water. So we boil it all. Definitely I would for chemo.

Pessa · September 2011

I have never boiled water and never heard of anyone on chemo doing so. I went through chemo and had no infections. (My MO never mentioned this at all!).

Moderators · September 2011

In the Lower Your Risk section of the main Breastcancer.org site, you'll find a detailed article about Exposure to Chemicals in Water that may help you assess whether you want to take steps to keep the water you drink safe for you and your family.

(Moving this topic to the Healthy Recipes for Everyday Living forum)

Judith and the Mods

Do we need to boil our water?

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