Boil Water Notice for 41 homes in the Holcomb Pressure Zone

holcomb pressure zone_boil water area

These 41 homes have water services located on S Sandalwood, S Lora Ct., 15950 S Brook Ct, and 16075 S Neibur Rd. See the map below for affected homes or for a link to a map click here

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

A valve malfunction during an emergency water main leak repair on S Sandalwood Rd in Oregon City resulted in an unsafe drop in water pressure leaving some customers in the Holcomb Pressure zone without water for several minutes. Due to loss of water pressure in this area on June 22, 2022, potentially harmful bacteria could be present in the water supply. These bacteria could make you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

What should I do?

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a boil, let it boil for one full minute, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Potentially harmful bacteria include Fecal coliforms and E. coli which are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, and people with severely compromised immune systems.

The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.

What happened? What is being done?

A valve malfunction during an emergency water main leak repair on S Sandalwood Rd resulted in an unsafe drop in water pressure leaving 41 customers without water in the Holcomb Pressure Zone. When the pressure drops bacteria can enter the system through events known as cross-contamination. This occurs when contaminated water gets pulled into the system from home plumbing not fitted with backflow prevention devices. Bacteria can also enter through undetected leaks in water lines placed too close to septic leach fields. While these contamination events are rare CRW urges customers to take personal protective action. 

We will inform you when tests show no bacteria, and you no longer need to boil your water. We anticipate resolving the problem within 24 hours.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

This notice is being sent to you by Clackamas River Water. State Water System ID#: 4100594.  Date distributed: June 22, 2022

DRINKING WATER WARNING

Activities that do require boiled water:Activities that do not require boiled water:
DrinkingShowering
Washing food served without  cooking/bakingTub Bathing
Adding water to food without  cooking/bakingDish washing or rinsing*
Ice MakingLaundering
Cleaning food contact surfacesGeneral cleaning, mopping
GarglingHand washing
Eye WashingPlant Watering
Taking water with medicationsPet bathing
Tooth brushing 
Pet watering 

*Cleaned dishes and utensils should be rinsed in water that contains 1 tablespoon of household bleach per gallon of water (100-200ppm chlorine) and allowed to air dry before use.

Home treatment devices that do not boil or chemically disinfect the water with acceptable disinfectants are not considered reliable alternatives to boiling the water.

For more information, please contact Rob Cummings at 503-722-9247, rcummings@crwater.com, or check out our website at www.crwater.com. General guidelines on ways to lessen the risk of infection by microbes are available from the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at 1 (800) 426-4791 or the Oregon Department of Human Services, Drinking Water Program, at (971) 673-0405.

This notice is being sent to you by Clackamas River Water. State Water System ID#: 4100594. 

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