Emergencies

SHOULD THERE BE AN INSTANCE THAT THERE EXISTS A DANGER TO HEALTH FROM OUR DRINKING WATER

WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE FOLLOWING:

EMERGENCY PLAN

HEALTH ADVISORY / WATER USE RESTRICTIONS

AUTHORITY:

Any Officer or Executive Committee Member can determine when an emergency exists, declare the type of emergency, and action required after the following steps are first completed.

Event: Suspected (coliform, E.coli) or chemical contamination

Step One:

Order all water use stopped immediately until test reports are completed and reviewed by competent authorities.

Step Two:

Document the Suspected Contamination by name of reporter, location, time and symptoms presented by humans or animals (or other basis of report).

Step Three:

Collect raw well and tank water samples showing origins and date of collection for transmission to Laboratory for analysis and reporting.

Labs available:

Skagit County Labs, Mt Vernon, Washington
King County Labs, Seattle, Washington
King Water Services, Coupeville, Washington

Step Four:

Notify State Department of Health (Erika Lindsey (253) 395-6766) and advise of data collected above and request advice.

All other emergencies as listed below may require only restrictions on water use (water hours).

Possible events

• Pressure pump failure, loss of fire flows

• Generator failure (while in use)

• Main break or major leak in service line.

• Reservoir loss of water to below 5 ft on Tank #1

• Sea water flooding of Sunlight Beach

• Hazardous materials spill in vicinity of wells or system lines (provided there is at least 50 gallons in spill area)

Communicate with the following:

The Board Operations Committee Chair will notify appropriate vendors for analysis and bids for restoration work.

Notify the Certified Water Operator for assistance as needed with test sample, analyze technical issues and offer advice.

Members information

• Telephone calling:

• Any Board member may authorize the Telephone Calling Coordinators to place calls to members stating that an emergency exists and water use will be restricted, or stopped (contamination) until further notice. Advise use of bottled water.

• Door Hangers:

• Door hangers forms are available for each home

• Signs:

• Signs are located in the Well House

• Place advisory signs at the entrance to Sun Vista and at the intersection of Bayview and Sunlight Beach Road

Regulatory Authorities to be contacted:

1. Department of Public Health, Washington State Any member of the Board can inform the Washington State Department of Health of the nature of the emergency and actions being taken. Follow the advice given.

2. Advise DOH of the events and actions taken. The DOH has authority to become involved.

3. Call Dr. Winquist and ask his advice on the events.

4. Make no conclusory statements or admissions about the events or the responsibility of any actor or agency.

Return To Normal Operation

The President or Vice President of the Board will decide and announce when the system has been returned to operations and any restrictions on operations or water use.

Certified Water Operator

King Water Company
Contact: Sandra Bodamer

PO Box 2243
Oak Harbor, WA 98277
Emergency: 888-266-7048

WA State DOH – Drinking Water Division

Contact:
(253) 395-6750
20435 – 72nd Avenue South
Kent, WA 98022

Drinking Water Door Hanger

Sun Vista / Sunlight Beach Water System

WARNING:
Do not drink tap water
Until told it is safe to do so.

Contaminates are suspected in your water supply

Boiling may not kill bacteria and other organisms in water and it may not kill virus or inorganic substances capable of making a human ill.
To avoid possible illness: USE only purchased bottled water for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice.

Contact your doctor, if you experience one or more of these symptoms:
Nausea, cramps, diarrhea, jaundice, headache and/or fatigue.

(People with chronic illnesses, infants and the elderly may be at higher risk and should seek immediate medical advice.)

What is fecal Coliform and E. coli?

Fecal coliform and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes that can cause illness or death in humans coming into contact with the vector.

Microbes in water can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches or other symptoms such as vision distortion and bodily temperature elevation (> 98.6 F).

Contaminates pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some elderly, and people with compromised immune systems.

How long will this warning be in effect?

We will consult with The Inland County Department of Health

Notify Washington State Department of Health.

Required announcements will be posted on signs and telephoned
For any doubts about water safety, use bottled water until further notice.

DRINKING WATER WARNING (Outage)

The Sun Vista/Sunlight Beach Water System, ID#______________, located in Island County may be contaminated because of water outage and loss of pressure in the water system.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil for one minute, and let it cool before using. Boiled or purchased bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

When a loss of pressure occurs, it is possible that contamination from the environment or from human or animal waste may be drawn into the water system. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. These symptoms are not only caused by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care provider.

What happened?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

The following is being done to correct the problem:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

We have consulted with the Washington State Department of Health about this incident. We will notify you when you no longer need to boil the water. We anticipate resolving the problem by ______________________.

For more information, please contact ___________ at (___) ____-________ or at ________________________________________________ (address).

Please share this notice with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distribution copies by hand or mail.

This notice is sent to you by Sun Vista/Sunlight Beach Water System on ___/___/____

For more information, please contact the Sustainability Chair, Joel Shrut at listed number given in this plan.

DRINKING WATER WARNING (Acute)

The Sun Vista/Sunlight Beach Water System, ID________, located in Island County is contaminated with fecal coliform/ E. coli bacteria.

Fecal coliform/ E. coli bacteria were detected/confirmed in the water supply on ___________. These bacteria can make you sick and are a particular concern for people with weakened immune systems.

DO NOT DRINK THE WATER WITHOUT BOILING IT FIRST. Bring all water to a rolling boil for one minute, and let it cool before using. Boiled or purchased bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, and food preparation until further notice. Boiling kills bacteria and other organisms in the water.

Fecal coliforms and E. coli are bacteria whose presence indicates that the water may be contaminated with human or animal wastes. Microbes in these wastes can cause short-term effects, such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. The symptoms above are not caused only by organisms in drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about drinking water from their health care provider.

What happened?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

The following is being done to correct the problem:
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

We have consulted with the Washington State Department of Health about this incident. We will notify you when you no longer need to boil the water. We anticipate resolving the problem by ______________________.

For more information, please contact ___________ at (___) ____-________ or at ________________________________________________ (address).

Please share this notice with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distribution copies by hand or mail.

This notice is sent to you by Sun Vista/Sunlight Beach Water System on ___/___/____

For more information, please contact the Sustainability Chair, Joel Shrut at listed number given in this plan.

Drinking Water Warning:
RESTRICT WATER USE

The Sun Vista/Sunlight Beach Water System, ID# ­­­­­­________, located in Island County is having difficulty maintaining water pressure within the distribution system because of over-use by customers. This has caused the storage tank to run dry and has allowed coliform bacteria to enter the water supply.

Please conserve water by following these recommendations:

• Avoid use of this water supply to wash cars, boats, buildings, and sidewalks.

• Check your home plumbing for leaks and get them repaired.

• Don’t let the water run while you are brushing your teeth, shaving, or washing.

• Install water-efficient showerheads and take shorter showers.

• Clean only full loads of dishes and laundry, between the hours of 10 am and 7 pm.

• Don’t use water fountains and decorative ponds.

Water your yard in the early morning or in the evening. Stop outdoor watering during the day (from 10 am to 7 pm) when much of the water evaporates and is not used by grass or plants.

Try not to use water during times when your neighbors are also using a higher than normal volume of water, such as when they are watering. This will help to “balance” the use so that pressure can be maintained.

Thank you for your cooperation!

Telephone Coordinator

Contact: Richard Townsley
(360) 579-2301

Island County Department of Health

Contact:
(360) 679-7350

EPA Safe Drinking Water

Contact:
1-800-426-4791

The state Drinking Water Regulations require that the water system be designed and operated to maintain 30 pounds of water pressure throughout the distribution system under normal circumstances. When a loss of pressure occurs, it is possible for contamination from the environment, such as human or animal waste, to be drawn into the water system. Microbes in these wastes can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms of illness. This may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, the elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems. Please note that these symptoms may also be the result of events totally unrelated to drinking water. If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you may want to seek medical advice. People at increased risk should seek advice about disease causing organisms in drinking water from their health care provider.

We will be keeping you informed of our progress. It may be necessary to conduct a community meeting to discuss whether additional facilities will be required to correct the problem.

For more information, please contact _________________________ at (  ) ______-__________.

Please share this notice with all the other people who use this water system, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distribution copies by hand or mail.