Plumber’s Mistake Contaminates Water for 2 Schools, 1,600 Homes

Drinking water in the system serving two schools and as many as 1,600 homes in Calabasas hillside neighborhoods was contaminated with treated sewage water intended for irrigation after a plumber working on a landscaping job mistakenly crossed two pipes, officials said Thursday.

The tainted water, which is not considered a health hazard when ingested in small amounts, traveled to faucets and drinking fountains before being discovered by officials of the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

Residents are being warned not to drink from their faucets or from local water vending machines until tests show the water is clean.

Two students at Calabasas High School complained of nausea after drinking from fountains before warnings were issued in a public address announcement at midday Thursday, school officials said. Students at Chaparral Elementary School were also warned not to drink from school fountains at about the same time, officials said.

Water agency spokeswoman Arlene Post said samples of water that may have reached the school and the gated community of Mulwood were tested Thursday for potentially harmful bacteria. Results were expected today.

Post said she did not know exactly how much of the treated sewage reached drinking supplies but characterized it as a “tiny” amount from a “narrow” pipe.

“The probability that there’s a problem is extremely slim,” she said.

Edmund Brettschneider, who lives on Meadowlark Drive, said he had noticed a mildew smell in his tap water for the past couple of days. He said he was not going to take any chances on the water and has stocked up on bottled water.

Water district officials were alerted to the problem late Wednesday when a customer called to report foul-smelling water coming out of the tap, Post said.

Post said they finally discovered that an unidentified plumber working on a landscaping project in the pricey hilltop neighborhood mistakenly connected a recycled water line to a drinking water line. Officials were trying to locate the plumber, who may face charges for the cost of the cleanup.

The district’s recycled water is safe for bathing and is deemed “gulpable,” according to a notice delivered by hand to water customers in the affected neighborhoods Thursday.

Post said the term “gulpable” means the water is not harmful if swallowed in small quantities--for example, the amount of water that a swimmer may swallow accidentally. But officials could not say exactly what amount may be harmful.

District water employees worked late Thursday, flushing fresh water lines. Additional bacteria tests will be conducted today.

Residents will be notified as soon as the water supply is deemed safe for cooking and drinking, officials said.