Tens of thousands of Long Beach residents woke up Thursday morning not knowing if they could safely go to their sinks and pour themselves a glass of water.
According to the City, a water main break occurred at 3502 Orange Ave. on Wednesday, and it is asking residents in the surrounding area to only drink bottled or boiled water “out of an abundance of caution.”
The water main break first impacted residents’ water supply at approximately 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, and the damage caused flooding along Orange Avenue. Residents had no water pressure, and water would just dribble from faucets. At first, Long Beach Utilities said that there would temporarily be brown sediment in the water, but that it would soon be flushed out of the water system.
According to the City, this sediment was naturally occurring and not hazardous to human health. The City did not send an email warning residents to boil their tap water until 11:16 p.m. Wednesday night.
Residents were only notified about the Public Notice to Boil Water through email and social media posts late Wednesday night. The City began leaving voicemails and sending alerts to resident’s phones by mid-morning on Thursday.
“Look how late it is. I mean, we all brushed our teeth last night. […] We’re all drinking water, obviously, all the time,” said Jeanne Williams, president of the Los Cerritos Neighborhood Association, on Thursday morning.
Mayor Rex Richardson said during a press conference Thursday that state guidelines require local utilities departments to issue a Boiling Water Notice whenever they experience a drop in water pressure.
The warning from the City asked residents to only use bottled or boiled water to drink, brush their teeth and prepare food. The Utilities Department said that the tap water in the impacted areas is still safe to use for irrigation and bathing, as well as washing hands, dishes and clothes.
The Signal Tribune called the Long Beach Utilities Department the morning of Oct. 10. A spokesperson for the department told the Signal Tribune that the City was currently testing the water quality, and that the department could not give residents any estimates as to when the testing would be complete or when they could safely consume their water again.
On Thursday morning, the Utilities Department announced on Instagram that it was “experiencing complications with the water main break” and that there would be “additional impacts to traffic.”
As of noon Thursday, water was still actively gushing into Orange Avenue, especially near the intersection with 36th Street, with the City closing the area between Wardlow Road and 36th Street to traffic as crews worked to repair the damage. The City has asked the public to avoid the area.
The Signal Tribune called the Public Information Officer for the Long Beach Utilities Department, Joy Contreras, twice on Oct. 10. The Signal Tribune did not hear back from Contreras by print time on Thursday evening.
Residents in the following areas of Long Beach should use boiled or bottled water to drink, brush their teeth and make food:
- 90805 zip code (east of the 710-Fwy)
- 90806 zip code (between Orange Avenue and Cherry Avenue, north of Spring Street– only if serviced by the Long Beach Utilities Department)
- 90807 zip code
According to the Utilities Department, residents should bring water to a rolling boil for one minute and let it cool before drinking.
The City of Long Beach will be distributing free bottled water to residents living in the impacted areas at Houghton Park (6301 Myrtle Ave.) and Somerset Park (1500 E Carson St.). Residents must provide proof that they live in the affected areas, such as their ID or a utility bill.
Residents with questions about the ongoing issue can call Long Beach Utilities at 562-570-2390.
The City of Signal Hill posted on Instagram on Thursday that its water system was unaffected by the water main break in Long Beach, and that Signal Hill residents could safely use their water.
