From Monday through Nov. 17, Santa Maria water users will be provided with drinking water from city wells instead of the State Water Project.
Residents may notice a difference in the water because of the increased hardness and mineral content, but the well water continues to meet all state and federal standards.
During this time, the city performs the annual flushing of a portion of city water mains. It also is the same time of year that the California Department of Water Resources has scheduled its annual shutdown of the Coastal Branch of the State Water Project for routine repairs and maintenance.
Last year’s flushing program was minimized because high-quality water running through the water system for several years has made the distribution lines progressively cleaner. This has allowed for streamlining the annual flushing program into a four-year cycle, cleaning 25 percent of the system annually. This approach minimizes staff time and resources, conserves water during the annual cleaning, and continues to produce ensure a high-quality water supply.
The portion of the water system to be flushed this year encompasses the area south of Betteravia Road as follows:
» Monday: Area south of McCoy, west of College, North of the south City Limits and east of Miller.
» Tuesday: Area south of McCoy, west of Highway 101, north of the south City Limits, and east of College.
» Wednesday: Area south of Betteravia, west of Highway 101, north of McCoy, and east of Miller.
» Thursday: Area south of Betteravia, west of Miller, north of the southern City Limits, and east of Broadway.
» Oct. 31: Area south of McCoy, west of Broadway, north of Larkspur, and east of the Railroad.
» Nov. 3: Area south of Betteravia, west of Broadway, north of Miller and east of the Railroad
» Nov. 4: Area south of Betteravia, west of the railroad, north of Fairway/Industrial, and east of A Street
» Nov. 5: Area south of Fairway, west of Industrial, east of the western City border, with the exception of the airport.
» Nov. 6: The airport.
Residents in these areas may experience a slight brownish or reddish discoloration of water during this timeframe. Should this occur, run an outside faucet to flush the water through pipes until it appears clear. This temporary inconvenience cannot be avoided, and the discolored water is not harmful to public health. It is suggested to delay laundering clothes until the water has cleared.
For questions regarding the switch to groundwater, a specialist is available 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays at 805.925.0951, ext. 7270. Calls after-hours that require immediate attention can be reported at 805.928.3781, ext. 278.
Mark van de Kamp represents the Santa Maria city manager’s office.