During a boil-water notice, you must boil water before drinking it or using it for brushing teeth or food that will not be cooked. Read which addresses and advice the message covers. Use boiled water or safe bottled water until the notice ends according to the water supplier's message.
What should you check in the message?
Check the sender, area and what you must do. A boil-water notice may be a precaution without confirmed contamination. You should still follow the advice.
The vannverk, water supplier, is the organisation supplying your water. It may be the municipality or another provider. Messages use terms such as “kokeanbefaling”, a recommendation to boil, and “kokepåbud”, an order to boil. Read the whole text, not just the heading. Oslo kommune's explanation shows that notices may cover a limited area on the map.
You may find it useful to note:
- Is my address within the area?
- From when does the message apply?
- Is this a boil-water notice or an instruction not to use the water?
- Where can I find the next update and contact details?
Boiling does not remove chemical contamination, as Mattilsynet, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority, explains. If the message says not to use the water, follow that precise restriction. Do not use the showering or cooking advice below as exceptions to a prohibition on use.
The advice and sources in this article were checked on 7 October 2026. The current message for your water supply is what applies in your home.
How do you boil and cool the water?
Bring the water to a rolling boil: it must bubble vigorously. Use a saucepan or kettle, not merely heated water.
Folkehelseinstituttet, abbreviated FHI, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, says a rolling boil for a few seconds. Mattilsynet says one minute, and that a normal kettle which switches off when the water reaches a rolling boil is sufficient. Follow any more specific boiling instruction in your notice.
Let the water cool before drinking it. Do not mix in unboiled tap water to cool it faster. FHI recommends first rinsing the storage container with boiled water. You can put boiled water in the refrigerator.
Refrigerating or freezing does not make contaminated water safe. Make ice cubes from boiled water. Also follow the message about water and ice you have already stored: a notice may specify an earlier time for what must be discarded.
Which water should you use for food, drinks and brushing teeth?
Use boiled water for anything that may enter your mouth without further boiling. The table is based on Bergen kommune's household advice. It applies to ordinary boil-water notices, subject to stricter advice in your message.
| What are you doing? | Which water should you use? |
|---|---|
| Drinking or brushing teeth | Boiled and cooled water, or safe bottled water. |
| Mixing cordial or other food and drinks | Boiled water if the mixture will not be boiled afterwards. |
| Rinsing salad, fruit or vegetables eaten raw | Boiled and cooled water. |
| Making ice cubes | Water that has been boiled first. |
| Cooking food in water | Unboiled water may be used if it boils during preparation, unless the notice says something stricter. |
Consider keeping boiled water ready both in the kitchen and near the toothbrushes. Tell everyone at home which container to use. This routine makes following the notice easier even when you are busy.
Can a coffee machine or filter replace boiling?
A filter coffee maker does not replace boiling. Mattilsynet explains that these coffee makers do not boil the water. Therefore use water boiled beforehand. For other coffee machines, Mattilsynet recommends checking with the retailer.
A filter does not lift the boil-water notice. Ask the water supplier if you are unsure.
Can you shower, wash clothes and wash dishes?
During an ordinary boil-water notice, you can normally shower and wash clothes with unboiled water. Avoid swallowing it. Oslo kommune also recommends avoiding water on open wounds.
Mattilsynet says to supervise small children particularly closely during showers and baths. Children should not play with water from garden irrigation systems or bathe in children's pools while the boil-water notice applies.
You can wash your hands with soap and unboiled water, then rinse and dry them. Unboiled water can also be used for ordinary household cleaning. This advice does not grant permission if the message prohibits such use.
FHI recommends boiled water for washing dishes by hand, including rinsing, and the dishwasher's hottest and longest programme.
What should you do with infant formula?
Water for infant formula must be safe, and the powder has separate preparation requirements. Boiled water that has already cooled is therefore insufficient for safely mixing the powder.
Helsenorge's infant formula advice is quality-assured by Helsedirektoratet, the Norwegian Directorate of Health. Use clean hands, a clean work area and clean, boiled equipment. The water must be at least 70 °C when the powder is mixed in. Follow the exact amounts of powder and water on the packaging.
Cool the prepared mixture before giving it to the child. Helsenorge describes a drinking temperature of around 37 °C. Keep the cap on the bottle while cooling so water from outside does not get in. Do not add unboiled water to cool the milk. Read the full guidance if you will prepare several feeds or store the milk.
When can you stop boiling the water?
Stop when the water supplier's message says the notice has ended. Clear-looking water or a neighbour stopping boiling is not a message from the provider.
Also read whether the notice has an explicit time limit. Oslo kommune has some precautionary notices lasting 24 hours and ending without a new text message. This is a local arrangement, not a general duration for boil-water notices in Norway.
Other notices apply until lifted. Engerdal kommune's message about Drevsjø is an example where subscribers must receive a new message. If unsure, check the latest update from your water supplier. Also tell others at home when the advice changes.
What if you become ill or lack safe water?
Use bottled water if you cannot boil enough. Ask the water supplier whether there is a place to collect safe drinking water, and follow the collection information. A local collection point does not mean the same service exists everywhere.
The water supplier can explain the notice, but cannot determine what has made you ill.
Helsenorge recommends contacting a doctor if you become very unwell, cannot keep fluids down or have prolonged symptoms. Small children, older people, pregnant people and those with weakened immune systems should contact a doctor earlier for assessment. See SamfunnPrep's guide to GPs and urgent help for the right contact.
Preparing for water outages is a separate task. Read about emergency preparedness in Norway when you want to plan supplies before the next incident.
What applies at work and when serving others?
Inform guests and other users if you pass water on to them. Do not leave a coffee maker or water jug available without people knowing about the notice.
If you run a food or catering business, Mattilsynet says you must assess whether operations are safe, need to be limited or must stop. Consider water for food, handwashing, cleaning and dishes. Safe water from another source can be part of the solution. You remain responsible for the safety of the food you serve.
Note the water supplier's contact details and where to find service updates. SamfunnPrep's tools overview brings together other practical resources for everyday life in Norway.
