How the Power Outage May Have Affected Your Water, “Boil Water Advisory” issued

The city of San Diego has issued a precautionary measure, called a “Boil Water Advisory“, for water that the public will consume for the foreseeable future. Reduced water pressure in some areas, caused by the power outage, may allow contaminated water to backflow into the system.

The following water districts report no need to boil water;

• Otay Water District
• Vallecitos Water District
• Padre Dam Municipal Water District
• Ramona Municipal Water District
• Otay Water District
• Lakeside Water District
• Helix Water District

This advisory has been issued by the City of San Diego:

Citizen Advisories

Beach Closures

Beaches will be closed for at least two days from Scripps Pier north to Cardiff while the County tests for water contamination by sewage spills due to pump failure during the outage.

City Facility Closures

As a precaution, the County Public Health Services has recommended closure of city pools in the areas with under the Boil Water Advisory notice, including:

• City Heights
• Colina
• Ned Baumer
• Tierrasanta

All other recreational facilities will remain open during normal hours, but no potable water will be available in areas where the Boil Water Advisory is in effect.

Boil Water Advisory 9/9/11

• Map of Affected Water Pressure Zones (PDF)

SAN DIEGO – Due to the power outage on September 8, 2011, the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health, are advising residents of certain areas of the City to use boiled tap water or bottled water for drinking and cooking purposes as a safety precaution. The affected areas include:

• Carmel Mountain Ranch – street list (PDF)
• College Area/College Grove – street list (PDF)
• La Jolla – street list (PDF)
• North City/Flower Hill – street list (PDF)
• Otay Mesa – street list (PDF)
• Rancho Bernardo – street list (PDF)
• Rancho Bernardo – street list (PDF)
• San Carlos – street list 1, street list 2, street list 3 (PDF)
• Scripps Ranch – street list 1, street list 2, street list 3 (PDF)
• Scripps Ranch/Stonebridge – street list (PDF)
• Tierrasanta – street list (PDF)

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.

More information about what to do during a Boil Water Order can be found on the City’s web site at:
http://www.sandiego.gov/water/quality/pdf/bwofaqs.pdf (PDF)