Imagine you’re driving and a red light flashes. That’s a positive coliform test. Your first, fastest, and most reliable move is to boil your water. Bring it to a rolling, dancing boil for one full minute (three if you’re above 6,500 feet—science cares about altitude!).
Boiling kills coliform dead. It’s like a hot, steamy superhero that shows up instantly. Use boiled water for drinking, brushing teeth, washing dishes you eat off of, and even washing fruits and veggies. Your kettle becomes your best friend for a few days.
But boiling isn’t a permanent fix. That’s like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky pipe. You need to find the source of the bacteria, and that’s where the real detective work begins.
