The boil-water advisory that Poway has been under since the weekend will likely be lifted on Friday, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said Tuesday night just prior to the start of a City Council meeting.
Vaus said tests continue to show no contamination of the city’s water supply, but state regulators are requiring two more days of testing before giving the all clear.
Near the start of the meeting, Poway Public Works Director Eric Heidemann gave a detailed explanation of how the water crisis came to be.
He said heavy rains last week led to storm runoff getting into a pipe near the city’s 10 million-gallon clear water reservoir located near Lake Poway. A “faulty flap gate” that was supposed to open only when the water from the reservoir needed to be flushed out instead opened inward as storm water rushed upward and into the water supply.
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He said the flap gate has since been repaired and is now wired with an alarm that will notify workers should the problem arise again during future storms.
The result was discolored water starting coming out of taps in various parts of the city, raising concerns about possible bacterial contamination.
The state’s Water Resource Control Board was notified on Saturday and ordered the boil advisory. Since then, the city has been working with Sacramento to make sure everything is fine. All tests have shown the water is safe to drink, but more tests are required to make sure.
By Tuesday, the northern half of the clear well had been disinfected and water was reintroduced, Heidemann said.
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Poway, an upscale suburban community surrounded on three sides by San Diego, provides water to about 14,000 customers, which includes about 50,000 residents.
Since Saturday, all city residents have been told to boil any water they plan on drinking or cooking with, and the county’s health department has ordered nearly 200 restaurants and bars closed because they are not able to boil enough water to handle food facility operations such as safe food preparation, hand washing, dish sanitizing and cleaning.
Other businesses were also affected. The bakery and deli section of the Poway Costco were shuttered and had empty shelves Tuesday morning, for example. Even several tattoo parlors in town were ordered closed by county health because of their dependence on water.
At the council meeting, a few people criticized the city for not providing timely information to residents. However, several others praised the city for how well it had been keeping people abreast of what was happening.
Meanwhile, cases of bottled water continue to be distributed at City Hall and at Lake Poway to residents. Distribution goes from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day and will continue until the advisory is lifted.
Boiling water for at least one minute kills bacteria and other organisms that might be present. Until the alert is lifted, people should only use boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes and preparing food.
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December 04, 2019 at 11:36AM
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Boil-water advisory likely to extend through Friday in Poway - The San Diego Union-Tribune
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