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Amid uncertainty surrounding when Mountain View might be able to restore safe drinking water for the dozens of households that have been without it for several days, the city is now warning residents to beware of phishing scams.
Officials said on April 29 that the scams, which aim to trick victims into disclosing sensitive information, have surfaced recently. They sent a news release to inform the community that the city will not call, text or email any person who is not located within the affected area, including portions of Cuesta Drive, Leona Lane, Montalto Drive, Drucilla Drive and Carla Court.
The advisory comes nearly one week after city contractor C2R Engineering breached a water main at the corner of Bonita Avenue and Cuesta Drive, causing a cement slurry mix to come into contact with the water supply. It encourages people to verify email addresses and phone numbers, avoid clicking on questionable links and abstain from sharing personal information.
C2R Engineering was working on an annual water and sewer main replacement project when the contamination happened. The city has since issued a stop-work order for the contractor and plans to pursue “all available remedies related to this incident,” city spokesperson Lenka Wright said.
As a result of the breach, Mountain View shut off water access to about 65 households Friday afternoon, April 24. Since then, most homes have had their water turned back on, however, as of Wednesday evening, it can only be used for toilet flushing and watering non-edible plants.
The city anticipated being able to restore safe drinking water over the weekend, but the timeline got delayed after two of five water samples tested positive for bacteria, the city said.
The water tests identified the presence of coliform, which is typically a harmless bacteria, according to a fact sheet from the California State Water Resources Control Board. However, its presence often indicates that other harmful organisms exist in a water source, which means ingesting water containing coliform increases the risk of contracting a water-borne illness.
On Sunday, the city sent a statement suggesting that residents “should be prepared for being without tap water for drinking, cooking, hand-washing, bathing, and other domestic uses through mid-to-end of the week.” The release included a list of hotels the city has partnered with to provide temporary lodging at no cost to the affected residents.
In Wednesday’s update, the city said it would continue providing hotel stays at eligible locations for those impacted until Monday, May 4, noting that staff is preparing for the possibility that water won’t be restored before Sunday.
Currently, the city is continuing to test the water, looking for things such as bacteria, metals, odor and color, Wright said. The state requires favorable results two consecutive times before the do-not-use proclamation can be lifted. Officials are still awaiting final lab results, since some of the tests require a 24-hour incubation period.
Additionally, Mountain View staff have performed “extensive water main flushing” to remove potentially contaminated liquid from the pipes, Wright said. Staff have also been distributing guidance on how to perform flushing activities at each of the affected households, offering hands-on help as well.
Resources for residents without water
As of Wednesday afternoon, the city has partnered with the following local hotels to provide temporary lodging for impacted residents:
- Super 8 Mountain View, 1665 W El Camino Real, Mountain View
- Ramada by Wyndham Mountain View, 55 Fairchild Drive, Mountain View
- Days Inn Mountain View, 850 Leong Drive, Mountain View
- Shashi Hotel Mountain View, 1625 N Shoreline Blvd, Mountain View
- TownePlace Suites, 606 S. Bernardo Ave., Sunnyvale
When checking in to any of the hotels, residents must show a valid government-issued photo ID that includes the address of an impacted household and should notify hotel staff that they are a part of Mountain View’s “temporary lodging program,” a city news release said.
If an impacted resident wishes to stay at a different hotel, the city can reimburse them up to $192 per night, plus tax. The city is also gathering information so that it can provide up to $92 in reimbursements per resident per day for meals and incidental expenses.
A community meeting for residents who have been impacted by the Cuesta Park water main incident is scheduled for the evening of Friday, May 1. The city will invite the affected residents directly.
