Potentially Tainted Water Is La Conchita’s Latest Concern

First there was too much water. Now the little left in the pipes under La Conchita and elsewhere along the northern coast must be boiled before using.

“It’s one more added inconvenience,” said La Conchita resident Michael Scheck, who moved back to his home Sunday after fleeing before last weekend’s storm.

A severed pipeline has left residents of the mud-covered town--along with most of the county’s coast north of Ventura--without tap and bath water until probably Friday or later, water officials said.

About 650 customers of the Casitas Municipal Water District have been ordered by the California Department of Health Services to boil what little water they manage to get out of their taps.

“It’s a precautionary thing,” said district sanitation engineer John N. Curphey.

Health officials also advised using buckets of water to flush toilets.

In the meantime, the water district has sent four tanker trucks full of water into the area after the raging storm runoff broke the main pipeline serving the area.

“We don’t know when it broke,” said Larry Reynosa, a laboratory supervisor with the water district.

Scheck, who hired a plumber to clear water out of his natural gas line, said, “We’re trying to keep a positive outlook on all of this, even though the news continues to be negative. Thank God we’re still alive.”

The boil order does not affect residents of the Rincon del Mar subdivision, Reynosa said.

Residents without the means to boil the water should mix eight drops of bleach per gallon of water and allow it to stand for 30 minutes before using, authorities said.

Meanwhile, federal officials have announced a low-interest loan program to assist those who suffered damage from the latest storm.

The U. S. Small Business Administration is offering up to $200,000 in loans to residents who experienced damage to their homes. An additional $40,000 in loans are available for damaged or destroyed personal property.

Renters are eligible for up to $40,000 in loans, while businesses could qualify for up to $1.5 million in loans.

An SBA spokeswoman said the loans would be made at either 4% or 8% interest, depending on the applicant’s financial standing.

More than 400 Ventura County residents and businesses applied for low-interest loans after the January rains, and an SBA spokeswoman said about $1 million of those requests have been approved.

For an application or more information, call (800) 462-9029 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.

Applications and more information can also be picked up at three Ventura County locations: 552 Sespe Ave., Fillmore; 71 Tierra Rejada, Simi Valley; and 6477 Telephone Road No. 10, Ventura.

Officials said they take 10 to 20 days to process each application.