How to flush your home water system after a Boil Water Advisory

BALTIMORE -- A precautionary Boil Water Advisory was fully lifted Friday after no further E. coli contamination was detected in an area of West Baltimore. 

The Baltimore Department of Public Works received clearance by the Maryland Department of the Environment to end the advisory based on water sampling results received Thursday night, Mayor Brandon Scott said. 

Now, residents in those areas are asked to flush the remaining water from their homes and take a few other steps, just to be sure. 

The Baltimore Department of Public Works said residents should take these steps after the lifting of a Boil Water Advisory: 

• Run all cold water taps for 15 minutes
• If you have a single-lever faucet, set it to run cold water
• Begin with the lowest faucet in your home or business and then open the other faucets one at a time, moving from your lowest floor to your highest
• After 15 minutes, turn off your faucets in reverse order, from highest to lowest
• You should also flush your refrigerator's water lines. Here's a video by a filter company on how to do that
• All ice made since the boil water advisory was put in place should be discarded, as well as the next three batches
• Ice maker containers should be wiped clean with a solution of two tablespoons of bleach to one gallon of water