By SDCN Editor/County News Center
San Diego, CA–The California American Water Company lifted a boil water advisory for affected areas in the South Bay on Saturday.
The advisory was put into effect on August 24 due to E. coli contamination in the drinking water.
After extensive water testing, Cal-Am and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water determined Saturday afternoon that the water is now safe to drink.
Cal-Am says affected customers no longer have to boil their water or drink bottled water. More than 17,000 customer accounts, as many as 106,000 people, were affected by the Cal-Am boil water advisory. The cause of the contamination is still under investigation.
The County of San Diego Emergency Operations Center worked with the state, Cal-Am, and the affected cities to help spread the word about the boil water advisory. The County also worked with impacted healthcare facilities and restaurants to provide guidance to them.
Cal-Am says the affected areas in their boil water advisory were portions of Imperial Beach, the City of Coronado south of Fiddler’s Cove, certain customers within the City of San Diego neighborhoods of Nestor and Otay Mesa West, and portions of Southwest Chula Vista.
The County Department of Environmental Health and Quality is working with restaurants to provide updated guidance and resources on how to resume operations now that the boil water advisory is no longer in effect. No food facility inspection or approval will be needed as part of the restaurant reopening process. Restaurants can also contact Environmental Health and Quality at (858) 505-6900 or fhdutyeh@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Businesses affected by Cal-Am’s boil water advisory are asked to complete the county’s voluntary Boil Water Advisory Economic Impact Survey. The information collected will be used to determine if the county should attempt to seek state and/or federal assistance. The form is informational only, completing the survey form does not guarantee that businesses will be eligible or will receive assistance, and it is also not a substitute for submitting a claim with California American Water Company or insurance company. The deadline for completing the survey is Sept. 15.
County Public Health continues to monitor for health-related issues and asks anyone experiencing gastrointestinal issues or any other symptoms to contact their healthcare provider.
For additional information regarding affected schools and guidelines for residential customers, please contact the responsible agency, California American Water, at 1-888-237-1333 or visit the California American alert page.
