LAKEPORT, Calif. – Thirty homes in Lakeport are under a boil water order due to a recent water main break.
The Lakeport Public Works Department issued the notice to residents on Third and Fourth streets on Tuesday.
Cyndy Ader, the department's secretary, said the 30 homes under the order are located on part of Third Street and at the west end of Fourth Street.
Those are the homes where the water supply couldn't be isolated by water main valves from the water main break area, the notice stated.
Ader said that while crews were investigating the water main break they found a cracked corporation stop – which is a type of valve – that was screwed into a tapping saddle, a kind of fitting or sleeve.
“We had no choice but to depressurize the water main and replace the tapping saddle and corporation stop,” Ader said.
As a result, the residents who received the notices are being urged to boil all tap water that's to be used for drinking or cooking as a safety precaution against stomach or intestinal illness.
The city's notice said the tap water should be boiled rapidly for at least one minute to ensure that it's safe to drink.
Alternately, for those who can't boil their water, the city said they can use eight drops or one-quarter of a teaspoon of fresh liquid household bleach per gallon of clear water or 16 drops or half a teaspoon per gallon of cloudy water. The bleach should be mixed thoroughly into the water and allowed to stand for 30 minutes before it's used.
“A chlorine-like taste and odor will result from this purification procedure and is an indication that adequate disinfection has taken place,” the city notice said.
A third option the city suggested for guaranteeing water safety is the use of water purification tablets. Manufacturers' instructions should be followed.
The city is conducting emergency water treatment, with an independent laboratory doing testing on water quality. Ader said the results are expected on Thursday.
If the test results are clear, Ader said city staff will notify residents that the boil water order has been lifted.
For more information call the Lakeport Water Department at 707-263-3578.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.