Boil and filter all drinking water. Boiling should be done for at least ten minutes at a rapid boil. Water purification tablets or iodine tablets may be used when boiling and filtering is not possible, but remember that this process does not make the water as safe as boiling and filtering. Be cauious with fruits and vegetables. Only peelable fruits and vegetables are safely eaten uncooked unless you know they have been treated to an iodine or chlorox soak.
Drinks made from tap water or with tap water ice are unsafe.
Schisto parasites, carried by snails, may be present in freshwater lakes and streams and can cause a very unpleasant disease. Swim only in fresh water that has been tested and declared free of such parasites. Because of the heavy undertow, the ocean is a dangerous place to swim. Use extreme caution and then only in recommended areas. Some porches accumulate dangerously slippery mold during the rainy season.