IRVINE : Water Supplier to Be Switched for 8 Days

Residents of the Turtle Rock community may notice a strong chlorine taste and smell from their tap water beginning Jan. 12, as the Irvine Ranch Water District temporarily supplies the area with water from the San Joaquin Reservoir.

The reservoir water is scheduled to be diverted to Turtle Rock for eight days. Normally, Turtle Rock’s water comes from the California Aqueduct as well as some area wells.

The change is required while some of the water district’s supply is shifted to South County, where a major water pipeline is being relocated during construction work at the Santa Ana and Costa Mesa freeways interchange.

The different taste and smell of the water is a result of the higher chlorine treatment used at the San Joaquin Reservoir. The billion-gallon reservoir is uncovered, leaving it more prone to contamination. The reservoir is near Irvine’s southernmost border with Newport Beach, about a mile and half south of UC Irvine.

No water supply problems are anticipated while the Irvine Ranch Water District redirects some of its water to the South County water districts, but district officials are asking customers to use water wisely during the eight days.

To serve the Turtle Rock residents with the reservoir water, the water district has installed a temporary pump station near University Drive and Yale Avenue. Residents in that area might hear increased noise from the pump.