Stay Clean & Safe in Bay Water, July 26

Coos Health & Wellness advises the following tips will help you stay healthy when fishing, clamming or playing around the waters of Coos Bay: • Wash your hands with soap and free-flowing clean water after playing in the water and before touching food to eat. • Until you are done eating avoid touching anything that was made wet with bay water.  Young children, in particular, need help doing this. • Always thoroughly cook shellfish before serving it.   The USDA recommends 145 F as the minimum cooking temperature for both fish and shellfish. • When you get really wet or muddy clothes avoid carrying germs into the house – or maybe your car.  Bag up those dirty clothes before going in and take them directly to the washing machine. Greater numbers of illness causing germs are in the water following a big storm or when there is a problem with a municipal waste water treatment plant.  By law, when a plant does not meet treatment requirements it must be reported to the Oregon Emergency Response System (OERS) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).  In addition to this, notice to the public is becoming more customary. Under the most pristine conditions germs exist in the bay.  Even when the bay water is clear don’t assume it is clean.  There is still a chance that illness causing germs are in the water.   Make sure you take care of yourself and your family.  Stay clean and safe in bay water.