COSTA MESA : Water District Warns Mailer Might Mislead

The Mesa Consolidated Water District is warning customers that information mailed to them recently by a plumbing equipment company might be misleading.

Postcards sent to water district customers from Amtrol Inc. stated: “The water company has modified your plumbing. It might cause you some easily prevented problems.”

Mary Urashima, spokeswoman for the agency, said the water district was alerted to the situation when several customers called to find out what had been done to the system.

“We just want customers to know that we do not tamper with their plumbing,” Urashima said.

A spokesman for Amtrol at its West Warwick, R.I., headquarters said the company was not trying to spread misinformation.

Rather, he said, the company wants to inform homeowners that they may encounter problems with indoor plumbing if the water district uses a system called a back-flow preventer, which blocks contaminants from entering municipal water lines.

According to Amtrol, such a system can cause leaks or water heater failures. On the postcards, sent to hundreds of local residents, the company offers a list of products to prevent such problems.

The Mesa Consolidated Water District does use back-flow preventers, Urashima said, but they do not alter indoor plumbing.

Plumbing problems associated with such systems occur if the temperature gauges on individual water heaters fail, Urashima said.