Pasadena Park Irrigation District – Water is Safe

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Pasadena  Park  Irrigation  District No. 17

Boil Water Advisory Question and Answers  Updated  on March 27, 2014

What happened?

  • Because  some routine  samples  showed  a potential  problem  with the water system,  we told the system operator  that repeat  samples  should  be tested.
  • When the repeat samples  confirmed  that there really might  be a problem,  we told the water system  to issue a boil-water  advisory.
  • Our process  is very conservative   and protective.  The water system  samples  the water regularly,  and if the samples  indicate  a potential  problem,  we issue a BW A as a precautionary  measure.

 Why didn’t  I hear about the Boil Water Advisory sooner?

  • The repeat sample  tests were not ready  until late Friday afternoon.
  • Schools  were notified  immediately  on Friday  late afternoon,  and water  system  personnel started door-to-door   notification,  which  continued  into Saturday  afternoon.
  • For a system this size with more than 2,300  connections   and a small staff,  it’s  challenging to contact  everyone  directly.  That’s  why we issued  a news  release  Friday night  as a supplement.
  • By mid-day  Saturday,  the media  had been reporting  the advisory  since Friday  night.  For a system  this size, we issue news releases  as an extra means  of getting  word out about  the advisory.

Did the water system  adequately  meet  its responsibility  to notify  all customers?

  • Our staff was in touch with the water system  throughout  the weekend.  We’re  aware  they made a strong  effort to get everyone  notified.  Our office  worked  with the news  media over the weekend  so that blanketed  coverage  would  occur as well. For a system  this size it’s difficult  to get the word out to everyone.  Water  system personnel  continued  to notify customers  throughout  the week. We believe  that the water system’s   effort and our work with the media  resulted  in the word getting  out to the vast majority  of customers  within 24 hours.

What was the problem  and what was done  to fix it?

  • The Department  of Health  inspected  the system  to identify  the cause of the bad samples. Sometimes  in these situations  there isn’t  always  a clear explanation   for bad sample results,  and sometimes  it can be a combination   of things,  including  a problem  with the sampling  location,  or a problem  with the disinfection  system.  Both of these  problems may have contributed  to the problem  here at Pasadena  Park last week.
  • Water system personnel  chlorinated  and flushed  the system  at the end of last week,  and they have taken steps to ensure  that the system  is adequately  disinfected  at all times. They revised  their sampling  procedures  to ensure  all samples  in the future are representative   of the water in the system.

How do we know the water is safe to drink now?

  • Water system personnel  collected  and tested  a series of water quality  samples  at the source and throughout  the system to evaluate  the safety of the water. The final test results were available  Thursday  morning.
  • Because  all the test results  showed  that the water is safe to drink,  the advisory  was lifted.

 Should I be worried  about my family’s  health?

  • If you are not experiencing   any symptoms,  there’s  no need to worry.
  • If you have symptoms,  talk to your health  care provider,  and mention  the boil water advisory.

Could  anything  have been done differently or better?

  • With any event like this, we will debrief  with all involved  parties  to see if anything  could have been done differently  and find potential  improvements.

Download a pdf of the 3/21/14 advisory, 3/27/14 Water is Safe Notification and the 4/23/14 Spokesman Review editorial entitled, ” Water alert a lesson in ways things can go wrong.