Official Assailed for Helping Neighbor During Shut-Off : Criticism Pours In Over Calabasas Water Crisis

A broken pipeline that cut off water to thousands of Calabasas residents two weeks ago is now gushing controversy in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

The 19-hour shutdown Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 has become a political issue, with district officials even arguing over a pajama-clad colleague’s nighttime delivery of a jug of water to a neighbor during the emergency.

The controversy began when some residents of the district, which stretches from Calabasas to Westlake Village, accused the agency of mishandling the shut-off of water during the repair of the 18-inch pipe.

Lack of Notification

Homeowners complained that the pipe had been leaking for months, but that repairs were so hastily undertaken that they were not given adequate warning to fill bathtubs and buckets with temporary water supplies.

Water district directors have denied the accusations--but they have blamed one of their colleagues with creating a liability problem through a do-it-yourself water delivery during the outage.

The impromptu delivery was made by Director Tad Mattock, who said he took a jug of water to a homeowner who rousted him out of bed to complain of the outage. Mattock said that, while dressed in his pajamas, he also helped the resident drain drinking water out of a hot-water heater.

Other board members complained this week that the water district could have been sued if the homeowners had gotten sick from Mattock’s water or if the water heater had blown up after Mattock tampered with it.

Officials clashed Monday night over the issue when Director Harold Helsley pointedly advised Mattock that water district staff members were standing by to handle such emergencies during the outage.

“You don’t have to lecture me, knock it off,” Mattock responded. “That man wanted help. I’d do it again. Sue me.”

District administrators said Wednesday that a new policy forbidding board members from representing the district while “engaging in these kind of volunteer activities” is being written and will be submitted to the board Oct. 27.

The pipe shutdown cut off water to 900 homes and a 400-pupil elementary school.

Officials said slow mail delivery kept residents from having adequate notice that water service would be disrupted.