Who maintains the water tanks on individual lots?

Maintenance and disinfection of individual lot tanks is the responsibility of the lot owner.

How often should I disinfect our lot tanks?

While the Water Co. chlorinates the system tanks quarterly, the residual chlorine reaching our individual tanks is negligible.  County recommends cleaning the tank tops of all debris and disinfect tank water annually.

What is the recommended way for disinfecting tanks?

For safety, an assistant on the ground should supports the worker

performing tank top cleaning and chlorination.

1. Wear appropriate protective gear including goggles and nitrile gloves. Be aware that clothes are bleached by chlorine droplets.

2. 5% domestic grade non-scented chlorine bleach is used as the disinfecting agent, applied at approximately 1 quart/10,000 gallons.

3.  Access the tank top by way of a well secured ladder.

4. Prior to opening the tank access lid, sweep the top surface clear of all debris. Pay special attention to the area around the tank opening.

5. Open the tank access port while carefully positioned on the tank top - falling into a water tank is exceptionally dangerous and is one reason to include a helper.

6. Carefully and slowly pour 1 quart of 5% chlorine into the tank.

7. Close the lid.

8. Carefully return to the ground level.

9. It may be helpful to write the date of chlorination on the side of the tank in permanent marker as a running log.

How can I be assured of water safety?

Water company sends water sample every quarter to the testing lab for evaluating the quality of water. If you wish, water samples can be sent for coliform testing at your expense. Samples should be collected 1 week after chlorination. Contact  Laboratory Services of Santa Cruz County Environmental Health (831-454-2022)  for further information.

How can I know if I have a water leak in my system?

Water company reads your water meter once a month and sends you a report showing your usage for the month. Any  sharp deviation from the norm should be investigated and may be caused by a leak. If you wish you could read your meters more frequently for even faster detection.