Water safety assured in West Valley by DWP; residents advised to clean their pipes
In the west San Fernando Valley, a significant water service outage affected approximately 9,200 households, primarily in Granada Hills and Porter Ranch, last week. The cause of the outage was traced back to a faulty valve buried 20 feet underground, which was stuck in a nearly closed position and could not be opened [1].
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) has since lifted the "boil water" notice for the affected areas. However, residents are advised to continue with certain precautions to ensure the safety and quality of their water supply.
The DWP has issued a list of recommendations for customers affected by the outage. These include flushing all outside plumbing and running all indoor cold water taps for five minutes or until the water is clear and the temperature is constant [2]. Customers are also advised to drain hot water tanks to remove sediment and then run hot water faucets [2].
In addition, customers should flush and disinfect water dispensers, ice makers (discarding three batches of ice), faucet aerators, and showerheads [2]. Running empty dishwashers and washing machines on rinse cycles, replacing all filters, and resetting water treatment devices like water softeners and reverse osmosis units are also part of the DWP's recommendations [2].
Customers with a water dispenser on their refrigerator should flush the device for five minutes and make and discard three batches of ice cubes [2]. The DWP also advises running water softeners through a regeneration cycle [2].
The DWP urges residents to clean and disinfect aerators and screens on faucets, shower heads, and fixtures. This is to remove any potential contamination that may have occurred during the outage [1].
During the outage, the DWP coordinated bottled water distribution, shower and laundry facilities, and water tanker plans to assist affected residents [3][5]. The repair of the underground valve, complicated by nearby infrastructure, took several days, followed by multiple rounds of water quality testing before lifting the boil water notice [2][3].
Residents are advised to maintain these flushing and cleaning precautions for household plumbing even after the notice has been lifted to ensure long-term water quality and safety following the outage [2]. It is crucial for residents to follow these guidelines to ensure their water supply remains safe and free from contamination.
[1] Los Angeles Times. (2022, January 10). Water service outage in San Fernando Valley prompts boil-water notice for 9,200 customers. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-01-10/water-outage-in-san-fernando-valley-prompts-boil-water-notice-for-9200-customers
[2] KABC-TV. (2022, January 11). Boil water notice lifted for Granada Hills, Porter Ranch after water main break. Retrieved from https://abc7.com/water-main-break-granada-hills-porter-ranch-boil-water-notice-lifted/11407549/
[3] NBC Los Angeles. (2022, January 10). More Than 9,000 Homes in San Fernando Valley Without Water After Main Break. Retrieved from https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/water-main-break-san-fernando-valley-granada-hills-porter-ranch/2864073/
[4] LAist. (2022, January 10). Water Service Outage Affects Thousands in San Fernando Valley. Retrieved from https://laist.com/news/la/water-service-outage-san-fernando-valley
[5] KTLA. (2022, January 10). More than 9,000 homes in San Fernando Valley without water after main break. Retrieved from https://ktla.com/news/local-news/more-than-9000-homes-in-san-fernando-valley-without-water-after-main-break/
