Press Release
Public Health

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Flood Waters Can Be Harmful to Health

Kittitas County, WA - 12/09/2025 - Certain parts of Kittitas County are currently experiencing flooding. Kittitas County Public Health Department (KCPHD) and the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office want people in those areas to be aware that flood water can be harmful to your health, including the risks of exposure to infectious diseases, chemical hazards, and injuries.

If your well head was covered by flood waters, KCPHD recommends NOT consuming water from the well until it has been tested.   KCPHD recommends using bottled water or water that has not been exposed to flood waters until the well has been tested and proven to be absent of harmful bacteria.  If bottled water is not available, you should boil water before using it for drinking, preparing food, washing dishes, brushing teeth, et cetera.  Boil water for at least one minute and cool completely before use.
 
Do not use your septic system until the flood water has subsided.  If the system is used while the water table is too high, the septic drainfield on your property may not be able to accept a normal flow.  This could result in water backing up into the tank and potentially into the house. While the soil is still saturated, the septic tank should not be opened or pumped, since mud and silt may enter the tank and negatively affect the system. If a tank is pumped with saturated soil, you will run the risk of it ‘popping out” of the ground.

If you have questions specific to your well or septic system, please contact KCPHD at 509-962-7515.  For information about flooding in our county, including the most up to date road closures as well as the availability of sand please visit the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page at Facebook.
 

• Flood Waters Can Be Harmful to Health.pdf
• SPANISH Flood Waters Can Be Harmful to Health.pdf

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

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Contact: Kasey Knutson, Public Information Officer, 509-962-7515

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