Boil Water Notice and Water after a Wildfire Information

CAL AM NEVER LOST PRESSURE SO THIS NOTICE DOES NOT APPLY TO CAL AM CUSTOMERS.

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Failure to follow this advisory could result in stomach or intestinal illness.

Due to potential damage to your water system infrastructure from the fire and/or loss of pressure from a power outage, Monterey County Health Department is advising water system users to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one (1) minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking and food preparation until further notice.  Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.  [

This notice shall remain in place until it has been determined that your water supply is safe to drink.

For more information call:

Water System Contact               phone number

Monterey County Health Department – 831-755-4505

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly. 

*******************************************

After a Wild Fire – Your Water Supply

Boil your water until you have completed an assessment, made any necessary repairs, and sample results show the water is absent for coliform.  If system lost pressure or repairs are made, complete disinfection process before testing.  See disinfection and boil water order instructions

Assessment:

For physical damage or a loss in pressure, perform a visual inspection of your well, spring, or surface water intake and all other pipes and appurtenances which work together to bring water into your household. The things you should be looking for include:

~Damage to electrical wires and connectors which supply power to your water system

~Damage to above ground PVC pipes used with the well to bring water to your home

~Damage to well houses and equipment such as chlorinators, filters, or controls

~Damage to sanitary seal or damage to surface water intake structure

~Damage to pressure tanks which could have been caused by exposure to excessive heat

~Damage to storage tanks, vents and overflow pipes

If any damage is found, you should contact the appropriate licensed contractor or

driller to repair the damage.

The water system should be disinfected, instructions available on MTYHD.org

OUT OF WATER- If you source is damaged or no power is available, but you have a usable storage tank, water can be hauled by a licensed vendor• https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/CDPH%20Document%20Library/FDB/FoodSafetyProgram/Water/Water%20Hauler%20List%206-6-19.pdf

Plan for a storm event:

If your water clarity is affected by typical rain events, we advise the well to be turned off and surface water systems to​close or remove intake structure. This will prevent clogging and introduction of debris into the water system

​

Know your neighbor – Get to know neighboring water systems, plan on how neighboring water systems can help each other during an emergency. 

Create storage: create 5-10 days of water storage. While it may be difficult to do this alone, if neighboring systems join together it is possible.

What to expect of the surface water source after a storm event:

~Sediment – the first few storms will carry sediment loads up to 10 times normal

~Flow volume- Due to the loss of vegetation, the flows will be up to 2 times greater than before

~Flow Rate – The high sediment causes a smoother faster flow.  This quick speed can cause quick transfer of debris

~Ash- Ash can clog pipes and become a haven for breeding microbes, chlorine reacts with ash to form by products that are harmful.

~Changes in taste, color, odor- you may notice that your water tastes or smells earthy, smoky or burnt and you may need to thoroughly flush your water lines.

For more information, questions, or concerns please contact Environmental Health Bureau at (831)-755-4507