Coronavirus And Plumbing Safety

by Trevor Woods | Last Updated: March 23, 2020

PlumbUniversity.com is all about taking care of your plumbing and your home.

But we want to talk with you for a moment about taking care of yourself and your loved ones. The coronavirus and COVID-19 are on everyone’s minds right now. We want to answer some questions regarding your water and plumbing systems. 

Can The COVID-19 Virus Spread Through Drinking Water?

Here is the answer, direct from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

The COVID-19 virus has not been detected in drinking water. Conventional water treatment methods that use filtration and disinfection, such as those in most municipal drinking water systems, should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.

Is The COVID-19 Virus Found In Feces?

The virus that causes COVID-19 has been detected in the feces of some patients diagnosed with COVID-19. The amount of virus released from the body (shed) in stool, how long the virus is shed, and whether the virus in stool is infectious are not known.

The risk of transmission of COVID-19 from the feces of an infected person is also unknown. However, the risk is expected to be low based on data from previous outbreaks of related coronaviruses, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). There have been no reports of fecal-oral transmission of COVID-19 to date.

Can The COVID-19 Virus Spread Through Sewerage Systems?

CDC is reviewing all data on COVID-19 transmission as information becomes available. At this time, the risk of transmission of the virus that causes COVID-19 through sewerage systems is thought to be low. Although transmission of COVID-19 through sewage may be possible, there is no evidence to date that this has occurred. This guidance will be updated as necessary as new evidence is assessed.

SARS, a similar coronavirus, has been detected in untreated sewage for up to 2 to 14 days. In the 2003 SARS outbreak, there was documented transmission associated with sewage aerosols. Data suggest that standard municipal wastewater system chlorination practices may be sufficient to inactivate coronaviruses, as long as utilities monitor free available chlorine during treatment to ensure it has not been depleted.

Wastewater and sewage workers should use standard practices, practice basic hygiene precautions, and wear personal protective equipment (PPE) as prescribed for current work tasks.

How To Protect Yourself

Follow the recommendations from the CDC, and from the World Health Organization (WHO):

Also, learn to properly wash your hands, following the WHO’s instructions.

Flushing Rules

Toilet paper is in short supply in some areas. If you are out of toilet paper please do not flush wet wipes, paper towels, or napkins. These products do not dissolve in water quickly and are likely to cause your plumbing to back up. Kleenex and facial tissue may be used in small amounts with increased flushing.

The increase of people self-quarantining and working from home can put additional stress on your plumbing systems. We have free resources and guides available to help make DIY plumbing repairs easy.

Calling In The Pros

Plumbers are considered essential services and you may have to call a professional for assistance on repairs you cannot complete yourself. Here are some tips for keeping yourself safe.

Staying Safe

• Postpone any plumbing work that isn’t necessary or critical in your home.
• Call, text, or email in advance to discuss the details of the job to minimize the time spent in your home. Discuss protocols to keep everyone safe.
• Take care of as much business as possible outside of your home.
• Before inviting someone in your home, ask them if anyone at their home or place of work is currently ill or under quarantine.
• Let the worker know you plan to keep your distance, at least 6 feet apart.
• Pay digitally if possible.
• Disinfect areas and surfaces where the plumbing repairs took place after the job is complete.
• Wash your hands thoroughly.

Conclusion

It’s vital for us to keep each other safe and that includes protecting the professionals helping us in our homes. Plumbers do important work and we want to keep them safe so they can continue to help others.

We’re all in this together.

Happy (and Healthy) Plumbing!

Trevor Woods is the founder of Plumb University® and he started in the plumbing and construction industry in 1997. Since then, his mission is to make plumbing repair and maintenance easy for everyone. And each year, he continues to help more people with their plumbing installation, care, and troubleshooting.