SAFE WATER ADVISORY
FRAZIER PARK, CA; JANUARY 17, 4:00 p.m.: The Frazier Park Public Utility District has issued a statement saying, "The "Boil Water" advisory issued on January 13 has been lifted and Frazier Park residents who were affected by the loss of water service can now drink and use their tap water without boiling."
The statement continues, "Following completion of the repair of the frozen valve at the Magee Tank, water service was restored on Sunday, January 14, 2007, then affected area and distribution system were disinfected and flushed and bacteriological sampling was conducted. Samples were collected on January 15 and 16, 2007 from the Magee Tank and several areas of the distribution system affected the water outage. All samples have tested negative for total coliform bacteria."
According to the Frazier Park PUD, "in conjunction with the California Department of Health Services, [we have] determined that tap water in the affected areas is now considered safe to drink. It is no longer necessary to boil tap water or consume bottled water."
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FREEZE POPS VALVE ON NW WATER TANK
While families throughout the mountain region were battling frozen household pipes last weekend, residents of about 300 homes in northwest Frazier Park were looking at their tap water in a new way Sunday, Jan. 14. Water service was restored at approximately 5:00 p.m., but residents were advised to boil their water until the health department approves it for drinking—expected to occur by Thursday, Jan. 18.
Bottled water from the Red Cross was made available at Kern County Fire Station 57 on Mt. Pinos Way and at Frazier Mountain Park. Showering and water supplies were made available at Frazier Mountain High School during the weekend.
The Frazier Park Public Utility District lost water pressure to a portion of the distribution system on Saturday, Jan. 13 when temperatures plummeted below ten degrees, causing a valve to freeze.
Magee tank above Walnut Trail was left without water. A pump also burned out as a result of the frozen valve, but was not a cause of lost water supply to the Magee tank, FPPUD General Manager Greg Keenberg told The Mountain Enterprise in an interview while he worked on repairs.
Loss of pressure and water outage for an extended period of time can cause contamination of the water supply with potentially harmful microorganisms.
Following completion of the work on the water system, Keenberg says FPPUD will disinfect and flush the distribution system while collecting bacteriological samples to verify water quality.
The California Department of Health Services and FPPUD advised customers in the areas listed below to boil their tap water or use bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution: Portions of: North End, Spruce, Maple, Willow, Poplar, Locust, Hale, Birch, Ivy, Ash, Gilpin, High, Race, The Kern Co. Fire Station, Alcot, Vine, Decator, Irvon, Grant, Walnut, Elm, and Mt. Pinos Way (western end only).
To assure that water is safe to drink, all tap water used for drinking or cooking should be boiled rapidly for at least 1 minute.
Residents will be notified when it is no longer necessary to boil drinking water. Check Mountain Enterprise. com for updates.
If water looks cloudy or dirty when water service returns, flush the line until the water appears normal. FPPUD says residents should not be alarmed if they experience higher than normal chlorine concentrations in the water while the lines are being disinfected. For more information: Frazier Park P.U.D. at 245-3734 or the State Dept. of Health Services (661) 335-7315.
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EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT OF AN UNWELCOME WATER ADVENTURE
By Cat Buckles, The Mountain Enterprise
Friday, Jan. 12:
A romantic evening by woodstove light, playing X-Box 360 video games, watching movies, listening to the ambient soundtrack of water taps trickling all night in the vain hope our pipes wouldn’t freeze somewhere in the super-cooled hours of approaching morning.
Saturday, Jan. 13:
9:30 a.m.: Silence. Not a good sign.
No big deal rinsing after brushing with mouthwash rather than water… at least we’d be extra minty fresh.
My dogs and cats had their own bottled water in evacuation kits I prepared last July. We’d survive.
Through the grapevine my taller half and I eventually discover it was a problem with a main.
Imaginations ran wild with just how long it may take to rectify on a holiday weekend.
Sunday, Jan. 14:
Our fabulous neighbor Dave calls Sunday morning with good news that the Red Cross has set up at the high school for showers and bottled water distribution.
I can’t help but amuse myself over lunch thinking about the last time they were here sheltering us from fire—now it’s ice.
I find the precautionary “Boil Water Advisory” flyer on my door, warning of a possible contamination to our water supply once it returns.
A part of me isn’t looking forward quite as avidly to the restoration of water. It isn’t safe to drink potential microorganisms… what about bathing in them?
Urf.
The silence of the pipes continues through mid-Sunday afternoon.
About 3:30 p.m., fixtures sputter, gag, hack and cough the announcement that water is on the way.
Three cheers for the workers who braved the bitter holiday weekend cold!
Like any excited child on Christmas, I ran to the bathroom to welcome water’s grand return. I could once again flush my toilet like a normal person by using the handle.
Honestly?
It looked like my faucets were peeing.
The water came out yellow and smelled funny. I knew it would take some time to flush the gunk so I left things trickling and quietly backed away.
Just to be safe, we took showers at my brother-in-law’s in Lebec, but the water ran clear once we were back home.
This is part of the January 19, 2007 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.
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