Mountain View neighborhood goes weekend without potable water after construction site mistake

Neighbors were still without water in one Mountain View neighborhood on Sunday after a mistake at a construction site on Friday caused possible contamination, and neighbors are waiting for tests to reveal whether the water is safe for use.

The three-day drought for the neighborhood just off Cuesta Avenue began on Friday afternoon when a private contractor, replacing underground water lines at the intersection of Cuesta Drive and Bonita Avenue, had a problem.

"There was a contamination breach with some cement slurry mix getting into a water main, which required the water supply in the affected area to be shut off," said city spokesperson Lenka Wright.

Homeowner Emily Hislop said details on the neighborhood social media site began spreading rapidly.

"My understanding is they're supposed to cap off one pipe before they do a certain process, and they didn't cap it off, just relied on the valve. And the valve was leaky," she said. "And that's the reason they're supposed to cap off the pipe. They weren't taking all the safety precautions they were supposed to. There's a reason those safety procedures are in place."

As a result, 67 homes just off Cuesta Avenue were immediately shut off from their water supply.  

"Yeah, it's been kind of annoying. It's like practice for the earthquake," said neighbor Bowei Du, with a laugh. "Not having water, we just go to the bathroom in the park. Luckily, the park is really close by."

Aside from the restrooms at the park across the street, a couple of swim clubs are offering use of their showers. And shortly after the water was shut off, the city dropped off two cases of water at each home along with hand sanitizers, and they even offered to reimburse neighbors if they wanted to stay in a hotel.

"They took water samples everywhere," said Du. "They went to the hydrants, and they also went to where your water connects.  They basically took all the samples, and hopefully, Monday they'll come back with the tests and they'll say everything's ok."

Late Sunday morning, most of the homes had their water turned back on. But state regulations are pretty strict about drinking water, so what was coming into the houses could only be used for flushing toilets, not for drinking, washing or bodily contact, at least until the testing says it's safe.

"So, as of today, the comprehensive drinking water testing is not expected to be completed until at least Monday," said Wright. "So, the city is working very closely with state regulators to restore safe drinking water service as soon as possible."

The city is coordinating the process with the State Water Resources Control Board. The water testing takes 30 hours to complete, which is why the results will not be known before Monday at the earliest. It's been an annoyance for the homeowners, but most seemed impressed with how the city reacted to the problem. But a neighbor named Wendy said she was feeling sympathy for one person.

"I feel badly for that worker, actually, who must feel terrible, even though they shouldn't have done that," she said.  "But to think that their mistake had so many repercussions."