Northern Health Offering Tips On Flood Clean Up

By 250 News

With 12 homes now evacuated because of flooding, Northern Health is offering the services of NH Environmental Health staff to help those affected by flooding along the Nechako River. Environmental health officers will provide advice on the best ways for home owners to clean up after a flood.

NH’s Environmental Health Office in Prince George at 565-2150 will take the calls. The office is open from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. Callers can also leave messages after hours, and an environmental health officer will call them back on the next business day.

NH has the following general suggestions for home owners returning to flooded homes:

1. Be careful when beginning a clean-up. If floodwaters have severely disturbed a home or property, there may be physical hazards. Those might include construction materials, electrical or plumbing components, as well as damaged floors and ceilings. Floodwaters may have also caused microbiological hazards such as contaminated water, wastewater, or mold, and chemical hazards (uncontained gas, oil, cleaning products, and pesticides).
   

2.      Home owners on their own water supply will need to make sure the water is safe before using it after flooding. If flood waters have entered a well, it must be disinfected with bleach and tested before use. An environmental health officer can describe the necessary steps for this.

3.      Always follow proper clean-up procedures to minimize health risks. The Provincial Emergency Program’s website at www.pep.bc.ca includes links to information on those safety procedures.

Email | Print | Facebook | Twitter | Digg | Del.icio.us