Lake Arrowhead CSD

Municipal water sources include streams, lakes, reservoirs, springs, and wells. As water travels over land or through underground layers, it dissolves naturally occurring minerals and sometimes radioactive materials. It can also pick up substances from animal presence or human activity.

To ensure tap water safety, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California State Water Resources Control Board establish regulations limiting contaminant levels in public water systems. The FDA and California laws set similar standards for bottled water to protect public health.

All water, including bottled water, may reasonably contain small amounts of some contaminants. Their presence doesn't necessarily indicate a health risk. Potential contaminants in source water include:

• Microbial Contaminants: Viruses and bacteria from sewage treatment plants, septic systems, agricultural operations, and wildlife
• Inorganic Contaminants: Salts and metals occurring naturally or resulting from urban runoff, industrial wastewater, oil/gas production, mining, or farming
• Pesticides and Herbicides: From agriculture, urban runoff, and residential use
• Organic Chemical Contaminants: Synthetic and volatile organics from industrial processes, petroleum production, gas stations, runoff, and septic systems
• Radioactive Contaminants: Naturally occurring or resulting from oil/gas production and mining

For more information about contaminants and potential health effects, call the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791.

FOG (Fats, Oils, and Grease) Advisory: When you pour fats, oils, or grease down your sink, you contribute to sewer system problems. FOG coats plumbing pipes in your home and community sewer lines, eventually forming blockages that can cause wastewater backups into parks, yards, streets and storm drains. These backups contaminate local waters and create public health risks.

Communities spend millions annually unclogging pipes and cleaning up wastewater spills. You can help by:

• NEVER pouring fats, oil, or grease down drains
• NEVER flushing food scraps
• NEVER using toilets as waste containers
• ALWAYS collecting grease in a container for disposal with trash
• ALWAYS placing food scraps in garbage containers
• ALWAYS using wastebaskets in bathrooms for non-flushable items

How to check your water meter:

1. Locate your meter box, typically at the front of your property near the road. Carefully remove the lid using a tool like a large screwdriver. Insert the tool into one of the holes and pry the lid off.
2. Inside the meter box, you'll see the meter with a row of digital numbers. Read the large numbers from left to right, ignoring the two smaller digits.

If you have billing concerns, first read your meter yourself. Customers questioning meter accuracy can request testing at their expense. Modern digital meters display "LEAK" when constant water flow is detected for 48 hours.

Checking for household leaks:

Regularly inspect all waterline connections, toilets, and faucets. Leaking fixtures can be your home's biggest water wasters. Know your master shutoff valve location to save time and money if pipes burst.

Checking for underground leaks:

1. Turn off all water inside and outside your home so nothing is being used.
2. Remove the meter box lid to expose the meter. Take a reading, wait about 15 minutes without using any water, then take another reading. If the reading increases, water is passing through the meter, indicating a private leak.

Remember: Private leaks are the customer's responsibility! All customers should have a private shutoff valve for their main line from the meter. In emergencies, the meter's angle head valve can be used by turning it clockwise ¼ turn to align the circle wings.

Common Water Issues:

• High water usage: Check for leaky toilets or faucets. Verify if your meter shows a leak indication.
• Low pressure: Test an outdoor tap first. If pressure is adequate there, check your water softener by putting it in bypass mode. If pressure improves, contact your water softener company. Also check your meter area for possible leaks.
• Discolored water: Recent repairs may have allowed air into the line, causing a milky appearance.
• Water treatment: The utility only adds chemicals approved by the National Safety Foundation for drinking water treatment.
• Unusual taste/smell: All public water systems maintain minimum disinfectant levels as required by state law (0.2 mg/L for chlorine, 0.5 mg/L for chloramine). These levels are tested daily for safety.
• Particles from hot water taps: Your water heater likely needs flushing. CAUTION: Manufacturers typically recommend hiring a professional for this service.

For billing questions, emergency water main breaks, or smaller leaks, contact customer service at (909) 336-7100. For plumbing issues like noisy pipes, consult a professional plumber.