Arnold, CA…A planned overnight water shutdown may impact service to businesses and residences in the Arnold area on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. Water service will be turned off at 9 p.m. Wednesday November 9. Water service will be turned back on by 7 a.m. Thursday November 10. In order to help maintain water pressure in the system, the Blue Lake Springs Mutual Water Co. has agreed to feed the CCWD system using one of its water supply tanks. This supplemental water supply will greatly minimize the impacts of this planned water outage for many CCWD customers. However, customers who are served by the lower elevation portions of the CCWD system may experience little to no impacts, while those living on the higher elevation portions of the system (on top of hills) may experience low water pressure. The District is grateful to Blue Lake Springs for its assistance in helping to reduce impacts on CCWD customers.

This planned shutdown is part of the District’s $5.3 million Reach 3A Project (click here to learn more). During the shutdown, CCWD’s contractor (T&S Construction) will remove an isolation plate near the Moose Lodge and then connect a section of new 12-inch ductile iron pipe to the 3 million gallon Sawmill Tank, which sits on the hill above White Pines and is the primary water supply for Arnold. This will require the Sawmill Tank to be shut off along with CCWD’s large pumps at the southwest end of Arnold, leaving most of the town with a limited water supply until the project is complete.

Although it is highly unlikely, CCWD customers who live up Highway 4 from Arnold in the areas of Big Trees Village and Dorrington may experience low pressure if the Sawmill Tank shutdown lasts longer than expected.

Due to State-mandated restrictions brought on by the drought, the District has been unable to flush lines in the Arnold area regularly since 2014. Over the years, minerals have built up on the inside of the pipes. When construction crews perform turn main water lines off and back on again, the velocity of the water can increase significantly and it can scour the inside of the pipes, which can cause the mineral buildup to dislodge from the pipe and cause water to become discolored. However, it’s important to remember that even if the water is discolored, it is completely safe to drink and poses no health risk. If customers experience discolored water and would like to flush their personal plumbing systems to remove the discolored water, they can turn on an outside faucet at the lowest point of their properties and let it run until the water turns clear. To avoid wasting water, CCWD encourages customers to capture the flushed water for later use on trees, shrubs or other landscaping.

CCWD crews will do their best to flush the systems on Thursday morning using hydrants to remove discolored water, but it may take some time until the water color returns to normal. Until the water runs clear, the District recommends that customers avoid washing loads of laundry, especially if the clothes are white and bleach is being used.