Emergency

When a leak is allowed to persist for a length of time it could turn into an emergency. And of course when a pipe breaks, that is most certainly an emergency. Any time there is a situation that wastes water could become an emergency. But that does not always mean you should call the water company hotline.

• If you see a major water leak or burst pipe in the road, on a pavement or any other place outside your home, please call us 24 hours a day at (209) 795-7030.
• If there is a minor leak on a neighbor’s property and you are not able to reach them, call us during business hours, Monday through Friday.
• If you have a burst pipe inside your home you will have to call a plumber. It always best to make sure you are using a licensed and insured plumber.

We have five full-time employees who are available during business hours. If you have an emergency after hours, please call the emergency phone number (209) 795-7030. This is a pager to the person on-call, who will get back to you as soon as possible.

Assemble a home Disaster Supply Kit to tide you over for at least three days. Of all the supplies, water may well be the single-most important item for survival.

Your Disaster Supply Kit should contain a three-day supply of water — at least one gallon per person per day. A two-week supply is preferable. Additional supplies would be needed for pets.

Tap Water can be stored in clean, heavy, opaque plastic bottles with screw-on caps. The containers should be labeled by date and replaced every six months to ensure freshness.

Commercially Bottled Water can remain unopened in its original packing box. It should be restocked after the expiration or “use by” date.

After a major disaster, it’s not advised to drink, bathe in, or wash anything with water directly from the tap, if you hear reports of broken water or sewer lines. However, if you run out of stored water or “hidden” sources of safe water in your home, you can purify water in several ways.

Strain water through a clean cloth, handkerchief, paper towel, or paper coffee filters to remove debris or sediment. Then, do one of the following:

• Boil water rapidly for one minute — if you still have gas or electricity. This is the best option for emergency water purification. Alternately, you could boil water on a camping stove or the barbecue. Let it cool before drinking.
• Use water purification tablets, following the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Add unscented liquid chlorine bleach to water, mix, and let stand for 30 minutes. Use 8 drops of bleach (1/8 teaspoon) per gallon of water for disinfection.

Your Disaster Supply Kit should contain water purification tablets and/or unscented liquid chlorine bleach — and a teaspoon or eye dropper. Refer to the U.S. EPA website for more detailed information on Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water.