Five Cities residents warned to boil or purify drinking water due to bacteria
Update, Thursday, noon:
San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works public information officer Shelly Cone said the county has identified the contaminant as a strain of coliform bacteria.
Cone said approximately 50,000 people across the Five Cities area and southern San Luis Obispo County.
To read more on this developing story, check out our latest article here: SLO County identifies bacteria contaminating water in Five Cities area
Update, Thursday, 9:30 a.m.:
The city of Pismo Beach posted a video to its Facebook page early Wednesday evening, providing further details on the water contamination.
In the video, city manager Jorge Garcia said while tests on Pismo Beach’s water all came back negative for contamination, the city will continue abiding by the county and state mandates to boil water.
Garcia further warned that taps with water filters or reverse osmosis filtration systems are not safe against the bacteria, and still require water to be boiled.
Ice made from tapwater in freezers and small filtering systems should be disposed of, Garcia said.
Dishes can still be washed under tap water so long as the water is hot — at least 150 degrees — so bottled water may still be preferable for washing dishes and brushing teeth.
Bathing and showering is still safe under the contaminated water, so long as you limit the amount of water that gets in your mouth, though babies and toddlers should be washed with sponge baths out of an abundance of caution, Garcia said.
Pets are similarly susceptible to the bacterial contamination, and should also only drink bottled water until the issue has been resolved, Garcia said.
A further update will be published to Pismo Beach’s social media and website in the coming days, and the Pismo Beach Public Works Department can be reached at 805-773-7453 for additional information.
Update, 5:35 p.m.:
A second news release from the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Works expanded the water contamination advisory to Arroyo Grande, Grover Beach, Oceano, Avila Beach and Zone 3 of the water distribution system.
“The county of San Luis Obispo Public Works Department and Zone 3 agencies conduct routine tests to proactively catch situations that can adversely affect drinking water,” the county release read. “During normal sampling efforts, the Public Works Department discovered repeated positive samples that fail to meet bacterial sampling requirements, resulting in a Tier 1 violation per California State Water Resources Control Board.”
Original story:
Pismo Beach warned residents to boil all water used for drinking and food preparation after the State Water Resources Control Board detected unsafe bacteria in the water.
According to a news release from the city Wednesday, water samples collected on Monday and Tuesday were found to carry bacteria that could cause stomach or intestinal issues. The samples were reviewed by the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Drinking Water, the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department, the San Luis Obispo County Health Department and the Lopez Project water system
According to the release, the city anticipates having the problem resolved by Sunday.
A following alert will be sent when water is safe to drink directly from the tap without boiling it, according to the city release.
How can you keep drinking water clean?
The city advised residents to boil all water for one minute at a rolling boil, allowing it to cool before drinking.
Boiled or bottled water should be used for brushing teeth, drinking and food preparation, according to the release.
Households that are unable to boil water should use one-eighth of a teaspoon unscented liquid bleach per gallon of water to disinfect water, followed by a thorough mixing and allowing it to stand for 30 minutes before using, according to the release.
Cloudy water can be made clearer by running it through a clean cloth and using one-quarter teaspoon of bleach per gallon of water according to the release.
It should be noted that any approach using bleach can cause water to taste or smell like chlorine, which means the disinfection has worked, according to the release.
Water purification tablets can also work to purify tap water, though manufacturer’s instructions may vary.
This story was originally published April 30, 2025 at 5:23 PM.
