Albertans need to take steps to ensure their safety and health as they return home from flood evacuations.
    Floodwaters can carry disease bacteria from raw sewage, which can lead to serious health problems if surfaces and furniture is not thoroughly cleaned and sterilized, and food disposed of.
    There are several steps you need to consider as you return home in order to reduce your chance of floodwater-related health issues.
    – Most foods will need to be disposed of if they have been in contact with the floodwater.
    – Throw out refrigerated or frozen foods that have thawed, or have spent an unknown amount of time in refrigerators without power. Use this logic: “If in doubt, throw it out.”
    – You need to prevent the growth of dangerous microbes and mould by quickly clearing away standing water and thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting all surfaces and coverings.

    Detailed information about how to properly clean and disinfect areas that have been flooded is available at www.albertahealthservices.ca/8644.asp under the Public Health resources section. Advice includes:
    – When cleaning or disinfecting flood-affected areas, it is important to use a household chlorine bleach to remove dangerous bacteria and reduce the chance of bacteria build-up.
    – Remove wet floor coverings and furniture as soon as possible.
    – Break out walls that have been soaked or that have absorbed water, then thoroughly clean interior cavities. Replace these wall surfaces later. Do not just clean up the affected wall surfaces.
    – Disinfect all dry areas of the house to prevent the spread of dangerous microbes.

    The website also contains detailed post-flood recovery information for social care facilities and food facilities, advice on how to deal with mould, and instructions for disinfecting and cleaning your cistern or private water supplies.
    Drinking water in Drumheller is safe for use and no boil water order is in effect at this time.

    Even as the floodwaters subside, there are still many concerns about the infrastructure in town, and it may not rear its head for some time down the road.
    Town crews have been busy as the river falls, with cleaning up of the community.  Berms have been taken down, streets are being swept, low areas are being pumped and barricades are falling.
    On Wednesday, a sinkhole opened up in the pavement at the foot for the World’s Largest Dinosaur. These are some of the things the department of infrastructure will be watching for in the coming days and weeks.
    “We can expect some more of these sinkholes or sloughs, we are continuing the best we can to find them, and fix them as quickly as possible,” director of Infrastructure Services Al Kendrick said. “This is a spot where there is a fair amount of traffic and we wanted to get to it as quickly as possible.”
    He says the have been tracking many potential issues during the entire event and as time allow and by priority they will be revisiting.
    “We think we have a hole in a pipe in one or two places, so we are tracking them, and well go back and investigate them as time permits,” said Kendrick
    They still face a large amount of clean up although it is much less than eight years ago. The water levels were not projected to be as high in previous years and permanent dyke work following the 2005 flood was in place.
    “The expectation was much less than last time…this time we were more focused,” said Kendrick.
    During the event, they were a number of concerns, one of the primary concerns is drinking water.
    “On the water side we were very fortunate we have off stream storage and our staff is always proactive in that regard. With June coming we were expecting high water, and we keep our reservoirs as high as possible,” said Kendrick.
    As they continue to cleanup the will continue to monitor all of possible problem spots.