Tuolumne Utilities District announced before 11 a.m. Friday that customers in the Brentwood Park area were no longer under an advisory to boil their tap water for drinking or cooking purposes.
The boil water advisory had been in effect since Tuesday night for about 400 TUD customers who received water from the district’s Upper Basin Water Treatment Plant due to a water main break that resulted in a significant loss of water pressure on the distribution system.
TUD officials said after fixing the break Wednesday that the affected customers’ water was most likely safe, but California regulations require water agencies to issue boil advisories when their lines lose pressure due to the risk of groundwater containing potentially harmful bacteria seeping into them.
Through “comprehensive testing,” the district and State Water Resources Control Board determined the water was once again safe to drink Friday.
The water main break came in the midst of a series of storms since last weekend that brought heavy rain and snow to the Mother Lode, though TUD officials said the exact cause for the break was unknown.
Emily Long, spokeswoman for TUD, said that overly dry or wet weather can cause the ground to shift and result in breaks to water main pipes. The age of the main or fluctuations in pressure can also contribute to breaks, she added.
