LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The Kelseyville Waterworks System is undergoing a series of upgrades to the water system which will result in more reliable service with fewer leaks and water outages, officials reported Wednesday.

This planned maintenance revealed the fragile state of portions of the pipe in the water system, according to Lake County Special Districts, which oversees the Kelseyville water system.

Recently, while working on aged and fragile pipes in the distribution system, the system experienced an interruption of water service and pressure in parts of Kelseyville and Finley, as Lake County News has reported.

On Aug. 12, low pressure started early in the morning and the full extent of the water shortage was realized later that morning.

In an effort assure the health and safety of affected customers, Lake County Special Districts and other agencies coordinated emergency response measures to safely mitigate the problem.

“In cases like this, standard procedures include notifying the California Department of Public Health which mandates specific precautionary steps be taken to ensure the safety of the water once it is restored,” said Peter Preciado, Special Districts deputy administrator.

“The Lake County Sheriff’s Department’s reverse 911 provided notifications to the affected customers along with posting boil water notices on affected homes by 7 p.m. that evening,” said Preciado.

Emergency procedures and notification are required including boil water notices any time system water pressure drops below 20 psi. When pressure is too low or less than surrounding water sources, there is a possibility that those sources – wells, groundwater – might “backflow/siphon” and enter the system, Special Districts reported.

Systems checks such as flushing lines, confirming appropriate pressure and verifying chlorine residuals are standard emergency procedures after low water pressure is experienced. The chlorine residual is an indicator that the water is adequately disinfected and there is some chlorine remaining. Laboratory analysis for bacterial contamination confirms that the water is safe to drink.

Test results take about 24 hours and the California Department of Public Health requires two tests completed consecutively with both results absent of bacterial contamination before the boil water order can be lifted. Notices in the recent situation were lifted by Saturday afternoon.

The water pipes in the area of State Street to Second Street along Main have been the source of maintenance issues and were the cause of the recent leaks and loss of pressure, the county reported. Special Districts utility workers were closing water valves in the area to isolate the water pipe to allow RAD Construction to connect a new 10-inch PVC water pipe.

“Unfortunately, the remaining pipes in their fragile state began to fail under the increased water flow as Main Street between State Street and Konocti Road was now being bypassed,” said Preciado.

He said system pressure also began to drop. The efforts and professional expertise of RAD Construction, a local contractor, assisted in restoring water service by bringing the new water main into operation ahead of time.

“We want to thank the community for their patience and cooperation during this recent water emergency,” said Preciado.

He said Special Districts recognized the precautionary measures required by the California Department of Public Health following an interruption of water service due to low pressure are inconvenient and frustrating for customers.

Every effort was made in the most recent incident to have service restored as quickly as possible, he said.

For more information about the Kelseyville Waterworks upgrades call Lake County Special Districts administrative office at 707-263-0119.

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