Phoenix water woes make waves in East Valley

Shelves of bottled water cleared out. Restaurants closed. Jail toilets backed up. Schools blocked off drinking fountains. And of all things, Starbucks couldn’t make coffee.

East Valley hits the bottle over water woes

Problems at a water treatment plant in Mesa fueled high anxiety Tuesday, as Phoenix residents were told to boil their water until noon today, and Mesa residents were strongly urged to conserve.

Mesa disconnected from the plant it shares with Phoenix and is relying on groundwater wells. Apache Junction, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe and Scottsdale officials all said their water supply is safe and in good supply. Many reported receiving a high number of calls Tuesday from concerned residents.

The problem began Sunday at the Val Vista Water Treatment Plant on McDowell Road, between Lindsay Road and Val Vista Drive in Mesa. Monitors at the plant, operated by Phoenix and owned by both cities, reported turbidity levels that exceeded federal standards.

Turbidity is suspended particles or sediments in the water likely caused by heavy runoff from recent storms .

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon said the boil-water order to the city’s 1.4 million residential and commercial water customers was issued early Tuesday as a precaution, and preliminary tests had found no signs of bacteria or other substances that could pose a health risk.

"I drank the water all through the night and I’m feeling fine," Gordon said. "That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t take the precautions."

Phoenix water customers, which include some homes in western Paradise Valley, were told to avoid drinking tap water or using it to brush their teeth, prepare food or wash dishes. If bottled water was not available, they were being told to boil the water for five minutes before using it. It was considered safe for showering.

They were also asked to conserve water by taking shorter showers and not watering landscape, because three of the city’s five water treatment plants are currently shut down for repairs and a fourth — Val Vista — is taking more time to treat water, slowing its production.

Phoenix water department spokesman Ken Korski said the microscopic particles escaping the treatment plant weren’t necessarily a health risk, but "there is the possibility the dirt could kind of act as a conduit for bacteria."

Disease symptoms due to any water contamination could appear one to 12 days after exposure and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, said Johnny Dilone, spokesman for the Maricopa County Environmental Services Department.

Officials hope to receive water sample test results today showing it free of bacteria and other contaminants. The environmental department must give its OK before Phoenix can lift restrictions.

Mesa disconnected at 5 p.m. Monday from the Val Vista plant and began to rely on groundwater wells.

Alan Martindale, Mesa water quality supervisor, said Tuesday that Mesa residents should conserve water through at least today, when the city will determine whether to start using the Val Vista plant again.

Martindale said the Val Vista plant is now producing water that meets federal standards, but he expects the city to continue relying strictly on its 30 operational wells until Wednesday night or Thursday morning.

The city’s other treatment plant, which treats Colorado River water carried by the Central Arizona Project canal, is closed because of unrelated construction.

"Although the supply is there, the distribution can be difficult, especially during peak times," said Martindale. Peak times are 6 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. "We are fortunate this is a low-use time of year. That’s going to help out."

Martindale said Mesa residents should cut water use for landscape watering, washing cars and filling swimming pools. He said water pressure should only become an issue if the Val Vista plant is not operational for another two days.

On Sunday, about 2 million gallons of the tainted water went into the system. But Martindale said the city increased chlorine levels and diluted the plant water with well water and the water in the distribution system to ensure safe drinking water.

Martindale said this is the first time in his 17 years with the city that Mesa is relying entirely on its wells.

Chandler and Apache Junction receive small percentages of their water from Mesa, but not from the Val Vista plant, city spokesmen said Tuesday.

In Tempe, filtration problems forced the closure of the city’s water treatment plant Friday night until Saturday afternoon, said Tom Gallier, water utilities department manager.

Crews were able to fix the problem before any contaminated water was pumped into the system, he said. Tempe used its reserves and received water from Phoenix during the shutdown, but stopped taking water shortly before the contamination.

"We were lucky and good," Gallier said.

Phoenix halted delivery of water to Scottsdale on Sunday night, leaving a small portion of the city normally served by Phoenix unaffected.

Scottsdale is using groundwater wells to supply drinking water to homes and businesses in areas south of Indian School Road.