Cal Water officials said today that preliminary water quality test results were negative for E. coli were negative and “only a single hydrant” in the South El Monte area of Los Altos showed the presence of total coliform. They reduced the “boil your water” advisory to an area of a few streets Tues evening (July 28), see map below.
Officials stopped short of lifting their boiling water advisory entirely and is conducting additional testing.
Following a repair to a broken water main, Cal Water advised customers July 26 in the South El Monte area of Los Altos to boil water for one minute or use bottled water for drinking and other uses after water samples taken following a main repair tested positive for the contaminants. Crews flushed water lines in the area and began taking follow-up water quality samples in accordance with state Division of Drinking Water protocol.
“We are committed to returning the water system back to normal service as soon as possible; however, we want to ensure it is safe for customers to use for drinking and cooking before we do so,” said Chris Wilson, customer service manager. “We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.”
Residents who opt for using bottled water during this advisory can bring their receipts for reimbursement to the Cal Water Customer Center at 949 B St., Los Altos, 94024, or mail them to the same address to the attention of Chris Wilson. For questions, call the Cal Water Customer Center at 917-0152.
Cal Water serves about 67,940 people through 18,800 service connections in Los Altos and portions of Cupertino, Los Altos Hills, Mountain View and Sunnyvale. For more information, visit calwater.com.
