Residents in the Five Cities area of San Luis Obispo County are being told to boil their tap water before drinking it, after bacteria was found in the system. The County issued the boil notice Wednesday evening for the Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Avila and Oceano areas.
According to County Public Works, a routine water test on Monday showed coliform bacteria above safe levels in the Lopez water distribution system. Coliform bacteria can signal potential E. coli or other harmful pathogens.
The notice instructs people in affected areas to boil water for at least one minute or use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and preparing food.
Water Utilities Division Manager with Public Works Nola Engelskirger said the notice may remain in place through the weekend.
“We understand this is a major inconvenience for the public, and we are doing everything we can to mediate the situation and lift this water notice as soon as possible,” Engelskirger said.
Engelskirger said the department followed state rules before alerting residents of the positive result.
“Tests are repeated on the next day to determine if there was a false positive. Once repeated, the sample was verified as above limits,” Engelskirger said. “The County notified the state Division of Drinking Water, which required a boil notice on Wednesday.”
The contamination triggered a Tier 1 violation from the California State Water Resources Control Board. The board is now investigating the source of contamination and will require corrective action.
Potential causes include pipeline damage or contamination from soil, animals or human waste.
The notice states it is still safe to shower and do dishes with tap water. As an added precaution, officials recommend using hand sanitizer after washing your hands.
The County will post updates at readyslo.org/wea.
