Floodwater and your health

Floodwater is likely to be contaminated with microbial and/or chemical contaminants. These can make you sick.

Water clarity is not a reliable way to assess the risk of contamination. If in doubt, assume that floodwater – and anything that has come into contact with floodwater – is contaminated.

Exposure to contaminated floodwater and soil can lead to:

• rashes
• respiratory infections
• stomach illness, such as gastroenteritis
• wound and skin infections.
  

Eating foods impacted by contaminated floodwater can also lead to illness.

If you're concerned about your health, seek medical advice. Find out who to contact in an emergency.

Avoid contact with floodwater

Avoid contact with floodwater. Do not wade into floodwater, even shallow water.

If you cannot avoid contact with floodwater:

• wear protective clothing, such as rubber boots, rubber gloves and goggles
• cover cuts and scratches with waterproof bandages.

Anything that has come into contact with floodwater can be contaminated. This includes soil, furniture, boats and animals.

To protect yourself from contamination:

• wash your skin with soap and clean water as soon as possible
• if you do not have soap or clean water, use alcohol-based wipes or sanitiser
• take care of any wounds and seek medical attention if necessary
• wash contaminated clothes in hot water and detergent before reuse
• clean watercraft, such as kayaks, boats or paddleboards, after use.

Protect yourself when cleaning up waste after a flood.

Avoid swimming after heavy rain or flooding

Avoid swimming at waterways and beaches for 48 hours after heavy rain and for much longer after a flood.

Check water quality before you swim. Avoid contact with the water if:

• the water is discoloured or has an odour
• there is sea foam after flooding or heavy rainfall
  
• there is a current water quality alert.

Swimming in poor-quality water can lead to illness. You should seek medical advice if you become unwell after swimming.

Look out for blue-green algae

A flood can cause blooms (outbreaks) of blue-green algae (cyanobacteria).

Blue-green algae can occur in fresh water and salt water. They can make the water look:

• discoloured – often green, blue-green, blue, white, brown, yellow-brown or red
• polluted – like foam, scum, mats, oil sheens, or paint on the surface of the water.

Drinking or coming into contact with water affected by blue-green algae can cause health problems for people and can be fatal for animals. Visit the Department of Health website to learn more about the health effects of blue-green algae.

Visit Water Quality Australia to learn about managing blue-green algae.

Check your water supply

If your private or town water supply looks, smells or tastes unusual, do not use it.

Floodwater and flood-related debris can contaminate water supplies.

Do not use potentially contaminated water for drinking, preparing food or bathing. Do not give it to animals.

For information about drinking water after a flood, contact your water corporation or visit the Department of Health website.

Avoid food affected by floodwater

Eating foods contaminated by floodwater can lead to illness.

Home-grown produce

If your garden has been in contact with floodwater, your home-grown produce may not be safe to eat.

Do not eat:

• leafy vegetables – for example, spinach, cabbage, lettuce and kale
• produce that was already damaged before the flood – for example, a tomato with split skin or exposed flesh
• raw soft fruits – for example, strawberries or raspberries.

Use caution with other fruits and vegetables. Wash, prepare and cook them well before eating.

Fruits and vegetables that were immature at the time of flooding may be safe to eat by the time they are ready to harvest. Wash them thoroughly before eating.

Fish and other aquatic animals

Floodwater is not safe for fishing.

Avoid eating fish or other aquatic animals, such as shellfish or yabbies, from areas that have been impacted by flood.

Fish should be thoroughly rinsed and gutted before cooking.

Do not eat a fish if:

• it was dead when you found it
• it was alive when you caught it, but it looks diseased, stressed or lethargic or is behaving in an unusual way.