A boil water notice has been lifted for the communities of Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach and Oceano, and customers of the San Miguelito Mutual Water Company.
According to the County of San Luis Obispo, testing by county and State Water Resources Control Board officials has found that the water is safe to drink in those areas.
The order remains in place for Pismo Beach and Avila Beach.
The boil water notice was issued on Wednesday after testing on water samples repeatedly found the presence of coliform bacteria in the Lopez Water Distribution System, the county reported.
According to County Public Works, one sample showed the presence of E. coli.
On Friday, county officials explained that the order was being lifted for the four areas above because those communities were able to isolate their water systems from the Lopez Water Distribution System and use other water sources and those sources tested negative for bacterial contamination during the entire time that the boil water notice was in effect.
The communities of Pismo Beach and Avila Beach have also reportedly tested negative during the boil water notice but they remain connected to the Lopez Water Distribution System, requiring the notice to remain in place in those areas.
County officials said that tests of the Lopez Water Distribution System were negative on Friday, which means the notice could be lifted on Saturday if samples taken on that day are also negative.
Those who remain under the boil water order are advised to use bottled water or boil their water following these instructions:
- Boil all water for one (1) minute (rolling boil).
- Let water cool before drinking.
- Use boiled or bottled water for drinking, brushing teeth, and food preparation until further notice.
- Boiling water kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.
County officials say they will alert affected residents by Reverse 911 and AlertSLO when the boil water notice is lifted.
Click here to sign up for text message and email alerts through AlertSLO.
Officials with the State Water Resources Control Board are working with local agencies to determine the cause of the contamination.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department says it has not received any reports of E. coli-related illnesses in the community.
