Infection Control advice for flood related water quality issues

When the Darwin water supply was affected by flooding in March 2026 and a boil water alert was issued, there were no Australian dental guidelines specifically for this scenario, which meant some practitioners closed their doors as a precaution. The ADA Infection Control Committee stepped up to support members in the Northern Territory with timely advice that helped them stay open for business and prevented the spread of misinformation. 

The following advice has been adapted and shared today with affected members in SE Queensland. It can be applied to similar situations where a flood event has raised potential water quality and contamination concerns for affected dental practices.

Advice from ADA Infection Control Committee

If a Boil Water Alert is issued by the state Health Department, or there are concerns about water quality due to flood contamination:

Hand Hygiene

• Use ABHR as the primary method of hand hygiene
• If hand washing is required (visibly soiled hands, after bathroom use) wash hands but rinse with bottled water
• For surgical procedures, either use surgical hand rub or use sterile water when performing surgical hand washing

Dental Chairs 

• For chairs that are plumbed to mains water, do not use dental chairs during the boil water alert time. 
• Once the Boil Water Alert advice has been lifted, shock treat the dental unit waterlines before using these chairs again.
• For chairs that are bottle fed – use purchased bottle water (ie. spring water, not RO water) to fill the bottles.
• If at any time during the boil water period tap water may have been used in the dental unit water lines, shock treat the waterlines before use. 

Steriliser Room

• For RMD reprocessing – continue using W-D and sterilisation if a RO system is in place that supplies the final disinfection water and/or steriliser water, or if suitable cask water (RO, distilled, deionised) from a reputable source is used in the steriliser. If a water treatment plant is in place, keep an eye on the system/filters as they may get depleted more quickly. 
• Do not use RO water or tap water for manual or ultrasonic cleaning while the boil water alert is in place – used purchased bottle water (i.e. spring water) 

General Plumbing

• Do not use untreated general tap water for any purpose where it may be ingested. 
• Once the boil water alert has been lifted, purge all plumbed water lines for a 5 minute period to ensure any stagnant/affected water has been flushed out the system. 

If your dental practice experienced flooding, please consider the risk of mould from water damage, especially in locations of high humidity.

For further guidance, please do not hesitate to reach out - you can tag the ADA Infection Control Committee through Peer, or email the ADA on membership@ada.org.au. 

For ADA infection control resources, please visit the ADA Infection Control Library.

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