City of Dos Palos shuts off water to residents, this is why

The City of Dos Palos shuts down Water to all residents for three days or even longer after their filtration system at the water treatment plant became clogged with algae, the City of Dos Palos reported.

The water was shut off at around noon yesterday, the Dos Palos Police Department said.

According to the City, the filtration system is unable to produce treated water faster than it is being used by residents.

State officials, County Health, City Engineer, and City staff are doing all they can to restore the service to all residents.

The City also said they are preparing for a temporary filtration system and additives to reduce algae concentration.

An advance notification was not possible as this situation evolved quickly, the City said on their social media account.

Merced Gateway News has partnered with the store manager at Smart and Final in Merced to save cases in the back room if anyone is willing to go in and purchase any water to be donated to residents of Dos Palos

Information from the City:

Why is this happening?
1. The City receives its raw water from the California Aqueduct 18 miles away via pipeline. The State of California Department of Water Resources is currently supplying water to the aqueduct that is seasonally high in organic content. This originally caused the system’s aqueduct siphon intake to become clogged and lose its prime. Modifications have since been made by the City to significantly improve response time from loss of siphon. These include a forewarning determination at the plant, purchase of an alarm at the siphon for advance notification, equipment and pump installation, higher water levels, and greater cooperation among agencies.

  1. Water with a higher algae level takes longer to treat, slowing down the process. To meet peak demand, the plant was forced to shut down late nights and early mornings to allow time to replenish its storage. We also had several water breaks and high temperatures. We asked that water be used for personal use only and directed that lawns and landscaping not be irrigated at this time. The plant is unable to produce water faster than it is being used by the public.
  2. The water treatment plant’s filtration system became clogged with algae. The city with state assistance will install a temporary filtration system in addition to the plant to help process water.
    Didn’t this happen before?
    Yes, seven years ago in late 2013. At that time, water was off for a week. The City was able to obtain funding to replace its entire filtration system. Algae was the culprit then and now.

What about our water quality? Because the plant shut down today, we are required by State law to issue the attached boil water notice. The City’s most recent water tests from various locations by an outside lab showed no presence of bacteria.

Where can I get information? The City distributes official information on its website:http://cityofdospalos.org and on the City of Dos Palos Facebook page.

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