ST. CLOUD -- St. Cloud's drinking water is safe. That was one of the key highlights in Wednesday's update by St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis.

He says he's received a few phone calls from residents concerned how COVID-19 would affect the city's water supply.

Public Services Director Tracy Hodel says the St. Cloud Treatment Facility is well equipped to handle viruses and bacteria.

The two biggest processes we have in place that offer that protection is filtration and disinfection. The filtration process removes all the solids so it makes the disinfection process more effective.

She adds water is also powerful tool to help fight the coronavirus, which is why health officials are stressing you to wash your hands.

It's an enveloped virus which means there is a lipid layer on the outside of the virus. Once you get through that layer you attack its genetic makeup and destroy what makes it able to duplicate.

Hodel is reminding you to not flush anything other than toilet paper down your toilets as you could back up your pipes and cause bigger problems.

Kleis says he will be providing these daily updates at 2:00 p.m. for the foreseeable future.

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