Thousands of residents in Santa Paula were told not to drink their tap water following a break-in Monday afternoon at the main reservoir storage tank that may have left the water contaminated.
“An unknown substance may have been added to the drinking water supplied by The City of Santa Paula,” the City stated in a news release.
The tank was immediately taken offline to prevent the spread of any possible contamination and will be disinfected before returning to service, the City stated.
The Do Not Drink notice was issued after Santa Paula police responded to a trespassing report at the site, the City posted on its website. By 5 p.m., the “Do Not Drink” notice was lifted.
“Further investigation revealed clothing and personal items were left behind in the area near the reservoir. A search of the reservoir revealed no visible contaminants inside the reservoir,” the news release stated.
The notice was issued “in an abundance of caution, to ensure the safety of our water storage supply to our residents,” the City stated.
The advisory affected about 50% of Santa Paula residents and businesses as the City awaited test results. Several maps outlining the affected areas were provided by the City and can be found here.
Residents were urged to comply with the following instructions:
- Do not drink tap water — drink only bottled water
- Do not try to treat the water yourself
Using tap water for bathing was deemed safe but residents were told to avoid it when brushing their teeth, washing dishes and preparing food.
The City has established a distribution center at the Water Treatment Plant at 532 Main Street to provide potable drinking water.
Residents can collect water from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Tuesday and will continue until test results confirm the City’s water supply is safe.
Residents will need to bring their own water containers.