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During a boil water advisory, commercially bottled water and correctly boiled tap water are both CDC-recommended options for drinking and preparing food. If you boil tap water, bring it to a full rolling boil for 1 minute—or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet—then let it cool. Boiling is still required even if the water passed through a home filter. Follow the local notice: boiling does not make water containing fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material safe.
Which should you use: bottled water or boiled tap water?
For a boil water advisory, either option is appropriate when used as directed. CDC’s Drinking Water Advisories: An Overview states: “If local officials issue a boil water advisory, use commercially bottled water or boil your tap water.” The choice is practical, not a claim that one is universally safer: bottled water is ready to use if available, while tap water needs to be boiled and cooled.
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A boil water advisory concerns possible germs in the water. The two options above address the instructions for that kind of notice: use commercially bottled water, or boil tap water properly. CDC’s guidance does not establish that bottled water is inherently safer than tap water that has been boiled as directed. Nor does it establish that boiled tap water is a better choice in every household. Your available supply, ability to heat and cool water, and the terms of the current local notice are what matter.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware match| Consideration | Commercially bottled water | Boiled tap water |
|---|---|---|
| Use during a boil water advisory | CDC-supported for drinking and food preparation. | CDC-supported when boiled as instructed. |
| What you need to do | Use commercially bottled water and follow local instructions. | Bring clear water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet; cool before use. Boil it even if filtered. |
| Practical consideration | Ready to use if available; unopened commercially bottled water is CDC’s described emergency source. | Requires a heat source and time to cool. If storing it ahead, use a clean, sanitized container with a tight cover. |
| Important limit | A local notice may specify a different response. Avoid water and ice from appliances connected to the water line during a drinking-water advisory. | Boiling does not remove or neutralize fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive materials. |
CDC’s emergency-storage guidance calls unopened commercially bottled water “the safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency.” That guidance concerns emergency supply; it does not mean bottled water is safer than correctly boiled tap water in every boil water advisory. CDC does not provide a comparative ranking of the two options for cost, taste, or environmental impact.
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How to choose for your household
Commercially bottled water is a straightforward option if you already have it, need water immediately, or cannot boil and cool tap water. Boiled tap water is also an official option if you can follow the specified time and elevation instructions, let it cool, and handle it in a clean way. You do not need to treat the choice as a contest between a universally safe product and an unsafe one: CDC lists both for a boil water advisory.
If you are preparing water ahead, remember that boiling takes time and that the water must cool before use. If you are relying on bottled water for an emergency supply, CDC describes unopened, commercially bottled water as the safest and most reliable emergency source. Neither point creates a general cost, taste, or environmental verdict. The CDC guidance provides no comparison on those factors, so a reader should not mistake convenience advice for a measured ranking.
How to boil tap water correctly
- Check the advisory for local instructions, including whether the notice is specifically a boil water advisory. Do not assume that every water notice calls for the same response.
- If the water is clear, heat it until it reaches a full rolling boil. Keep it at a rolling boil for 1 minute. At elevations above 6,500 feet, boil it for 3 minutes.
- Let the water cool before drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, or giving it to pets. Boiling instructions do not mean the water should be used while hot.
- If preparing water in advance, transfer it to a clean, sanitized container and cover it tightly.
These are distinct steps: reach a full rolling boil, keep it boiling for the required duration, then cool it before use. The standard time is one minute; the three-minute time applies above 6,500 feet. Follow the longer time when your elevation is above that threshold. The CDC guidance does not support shortening the boil because the water looks clear or because it has been filtered.
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After boiling, cooling and storage are part of using the water as directed. CDC advises letting it cool and keeping prepared water in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers. If you are boiling only what you need for immediate use, let it cool before using it for drinking or household tasks. If you make a supply in advance, do not leave it in an uncovered or unsanitized container.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Stopping at a simmer: The instruction is a full rolling boil for the full time, not simply heating the water until it is warm.
- Using the one-minute time above 6,500 feet: The CDC instruction at elevations above 6,500 feet is three minutes.
- Assuming filtration is enough: Boil tap water even after it has passed through a home filter or filter pitcher.
- Using it before it cools: Let boiled water cool before drinking or using it for food, teeth, or pets.
- Applying boiling to every advisory: A different notice may involve a different hazard or require avoiding tap water altogether.
- Forgetting appliance water and ice: Do not use water or ice from a refrigerator or freezer connected to the water line during a drinking-water advisory.
Use the advisory wording to decide what is safe
Boil water advisory
This notice addresses possible germs in the water. Use commercially bottled water or water boiled according to the instructions for drinking and food preparation. Boiling is not a general-purpose treatment for every kind of contamination.
For this advisory, the core decision is between two options CDC identifies: commercially bottled water or tap water brought to the required boil and cooled. Follow any specific directions in the local notice, since the issuing utility or health department has information about the local situation. A general CDC rule does not replace an updated local instruction.
Do not drink advisory
A do not drink notice may involve chemicals or toxins. Do not assume boiling will make the water safe: heat does not remove fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive materials. Use the alternate water source and follow the specific directions from the utility or health department issuing the notice.
This is why the words on the notice matter. “Boil water” and “do not drink” are not interchangeable labels. If a notice identifies chemical or other contamination, the boil-water method for possible germs should not be treated as a remedy. CDC’s emergency-water guidance also warns that boiling does not make water contaminated by fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material safe.
Do not use advisory
A do not use notice means avoid tap water for all purposes while it is in effect. Do not substitute boiling for the local instructions; use another water source as directed. If you are not sure which kind of notice applies, check the latest communication from the authority that issued it rather than interpreting the wording from memory.
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Advisories can change as officials investigate or resolve a problem. Check the latest notice from your water utility or local health department rather than relying on an older message or a general rule. If the notice changes, follow the updated directions; do not carry instructions from one advisory category over to another without checking.
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During a boil water advisory, the choice between bottled and boiled water applies to more than a glass at the table. Pay attention to food preparation, oral care, pets, appliances, handwashing, and dishes. The local notice remains the authority if it gives more specific directions.
- Drinking, cooking, and food preparation: Use commercially bottled or boiled water. Do not use untreated tap water for these activities while the boil water advisory applies.
- Brushing teeth: Use bottled or boiled water, not untreated tap water. This is an easy use to overlook when the household is otherwise using bottled water or preparing boiled water for meals.
- Pets: Give them bottled water or boiled water that has cooled. Do not offer freshly boiled, hot water.
- Refrigerator and freezer dispensers: Do not use water or ice from appliances connected to the water line during a drinking-water advisory. The appliance connection means its water and ice should not be treated as an independent safe supply. Use bottled or boiled water instead.
- Handwashing: Tap water and soap are often acceptable during a boil water advisory, but follow local directions. This is not a blanket instruction for every kind of advisory, especially a do not use notice.
- Dishes: Disposable dishes are an option. CDC says dishwashers are generally safe if they have a sanitizing cycle or a final-rinse temperature of at least 150°F (66°C). If washing dishes by hand, add a separate sanitizing step according to local guidance.
For dishes, do not confuse a dishwasher’s ordinary operation with the specific CDC conditions in the guidance: it is generally considered safe if it has a sanitizing cycle or a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F (66°C). For hand-washed dishes, the guidance calls for a separate sanitizing step. If you do not have the specified dishwasher feature or are uncertain how to meet the hand-washing instruction, disposable dishes are an option while you follow the notice.
Handwashing is a separate household question from drinking and food preparation. CDC says tap water and soap are often acceptable during a boil water advisory, but local directions matter. Do not generalize that point to an advisory that says not to use tap water for any purpose.
How much water to keep on hand
For emergency planning, CDC advises storing at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days. That is a planning quantity for an emergency supply, not a comparison of bottled and boiled water and not an estimate of how long a particular local advisory will last. Its guidance, published June 27, 2025, describes unopened commercially bottled water as the safest and most reliable emergency source. If you store boiled tap water, cool it first and keep it in clean, sanitized containers with tight covers.
For example, using CDC’s minimum planning figure, a household of four would plan for at least four gallons per day and twelve gallons for three days. This follows the per-person, per-day recommendation; it is not a special allowance for cooking or a forecast of household consumption. CDC’s guidance does not provide a different quantity for children, pets, or a particular advisory, so follow any additional local or household-specific instructions you receive.
Prepared water must be handled carefully. CDC’s storage advice supports clean, sanitized containers with tight covers for water that has been boiled and cooled. It also identifies unopened commercially bottled water as the safest and most reliable source for emergency storage. The practical distinction is that bottled water is ready to use, while boiled tap water requires the additional steps of heating, cooling, and clean covered storage.
Choose bottled water when you need a ready-to-use supply or cannot boil and cool tap water. Choose boiled tap water when you can follow the boiling steps and store it safely. In either case, the local advisory takes precedence, especially if it identifies a chemical or other contamination concern. There is no evidence in the CDC guidance to support a general winner on price, taste, or environmental impact.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What CDC’s recommendation does—and does not—say
CDC’s statement that unopened commercially bottled water is the “safest and most reliable source of water in an emergency” is useful for emergency planning. Read it in that context. Separately, CDC’s boil water advisory guidance explicitly offers commercially bottled water or properly boiled tap water. The emergency-storage statement should not be expanded into a claim that bottled water is always safer than properly boiled tap water during a boil water advisory.
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The guidance also does not offer a comparative trial or official ranking of bottled and boiled tap water for price, taste, convenience overall, environmental impact, or consumer preference. There is a practical difference supported by the instructions—one option is commercially bottled and ready to use if available, and the other requires boiling, cooling, and safe storage—but readers should not mistake that difference for a comparison of every household’s costs or preferences.
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- A Taste You Can Trust: From collection to testing, every drop of our purified water goes through a rigorous quality process to ensure a crisp and refreshing taste every time.
In short, use the relevant option for the notice in force, follow the exact boil time if using tap water, and check the issuing utility or health department for updates. If the notice is not a boil water advisory, or if it warns about chemicals or says not to use water, do not rely on boiling as a universal fix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is bottled water safer than boiled tap water during a boil water advisory?
CDC identifies commercially bottled water and correctly boiled tap water as options during a boil water advisory. Its emergency-storage guidance calls unopened commercially bottled water the safest and most reliable emergency source, but that is not a claim that bottled water is safer than properly boiled tap water in every boil water advisory.
How long should I boil tap water during an advisory?
Bring clear tap water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. At elevations above 6,500 feet, boil it for 3 minutes. Let it cool before use and follow any local instructions.
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Do I still need to boil water if I use a home filter?
Yes. CDC says to boil tap water even if it has passed through a home filter or filter pitcher.
Can I use my refrigerator’s water or ice dispenser during a boil water advisory?
No. Do not use water or ice from appliances connected to the water line during a drinking-water advisory. Use commercially bottled or properly boiled water instead.
Does boiling remove chemicals from tap water?
No. Boiling does not make water containing fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material safe. Follow the local notice and use the alternate water source officials specify.
Can I use tap water to wash my hands during a boil water advisory?
CDC says tap water and soap are often acceptable for handwashing during a boil water advisory, but follow local directions. Do not apply that guidance to a notice that says not to use tap water.
How should I store water I boiled ahead of time?
Let it cool, then store it in a clean, sanitized container with a tight cover. CDC’s emergency-planning guidance advises at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days.
Can I wash dishes during a boil water advisory?
Disposable dishes are an option. CDC says dishwashers are generally safe if they have a sanitizing cycle or a final rinse temperature of at least 150°F (66°C). Hand-washed dishes need a separate sanitizing step; follow local directions.
The Bottom Line
Bottom line: During a boil water advisory, CDC supports commercially bottled water or tap water brought to a full rolling boil for 1 minute—3 minutes above 6,500 feet—and cooled before use. Boil even filtered tap water. Use the latest local instructions, because boiling does not remove fuel, toxic chemicals, or radioactive material, and it is not a substitute for a do not drink or do not use notice.
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