Tests Show South SF Water In Vandalized Storage Tanks Is Safe To Drink
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Officials with the California Water Service were going door-to-door in the Sunshine Gardens area of South San Francisco to tell residents it was safe to drink their water.
The agency's "precautionary do not drink advisory" was canceled at 4:20 p.m.
Residents were warned to use bottled water while their water source was being tested Saturday after a water tower that serves more than 2000 people was vandalized Friday.
Colma police were called at 9:53 a.m. Friday to the tank in the 2500 block of Hillside Boulevard and discovered vandals had cut the lock to a vent on the tank and could have contaminated the water.
The first tests of the water found it safe but a precautionary do not drink advisory was not lifted until the results of more tests were in on Saturday afternoon.
"We're just trying to be ultra cautious," Cal Water director of operations Darin Duncan said.
"We were telling people, just do not drink the water. And if they need water for drinking or cooking, they're free to come down here and get it from us," said Mike Uts of California Water Service.
People who bought water can turn in their receipts to Cal Water to be reimbursed.
Cal Water officials said the agency would post the results of the additional water tests at www.calwater.com.
Meanwhile an update on the site says, "Water quality test results have confirmed that water quality was NOT affected, and it is safe to resume normal water use. We advised our customers to take this precautionary measure out of an abundance of caution because protecting your health and safety is our highest priority. We thank you for your patience during this time.
We apologize again for the inconvenience and are conducting a full investigation with the State's Division of Drinking Water and local law enforcement to ensure the water supply remains safe for our customers.'
For more information, the Cal Water customer center can be reached at (650) 558-7800.
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