When a retail food facility is under a boil water order, what is the first action to take?

• A. Discard all food prepped prior to order
• B. Disconnect all equipment from the water supply
• C. Run faucets 3–5 minutes when service is back
• D. Sanitize any equipment connected to the water supply

Answer: (A)

During a boil-water order, the immediate priority is to protect customers from potential contamination. Discarding foods that were prepared with water before the order began removes items that could have come into contact with unsafe water, eliminating the risk from already-made dishes and ingredients. Once those items are out of the way, you can switch to using bottled or boiled water for all further prep and cleaning. The other actions are actions you would take as part of broader response or after the notice is lifted, not as the first protective step: disconnecting equipment from the water supply may be used in specific situations but isn’t the initial measure, running faucets after service resumes is for flushing and verifying safety, and sanitizing equipment tied to the water supply is part of post-notice decontamination rather than the first action during the order.