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Water Outages

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Water or Sewer Emergencies: (805) 564-5413

Click on the water outage map to see current outages.

What to expect during a water main break

Main breaks can cause a loss of water pressure, or even temporary loss of service, as the main is shut down to isolate the emergency. Most interruptions to water service are fixed within 8-12 hours. In some cases, such as water main breaks that occur in the middle of the night, water is usually restored by the following day.

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IDENTIFY: What type of leak is happening? How urgent is the situation? Is it from a main or a customer water pipe? We may shut down the water to isolate the emergency. Specialized crews assist with the shutdown of large water main breaks.
PINPOINT: If we need to dig, a call is made to DigAlert (811), and other utilities are marked, including gas, electric and other lines. If the leak is on the City’s water main, we will arrange to have utilities marked and take steps to protect the public’s safety.
REPAIR: If it’s our main, the repair crew digs, repairs or replaces the damaged pipe, and coordinates arrangements for traffic. Typical time is 8–12 hours from the time our crews begin working. This estimate may be shorter or longer depending on the situation.
Note: Permanent repairs to the road surface will be completed at a later date.
RESTORE: Repair crews flush and disinfect the pipe to ensure water quality and then patch the road.
Note: If property damage resulted from a main break, Risk Management claims representatives can help customers with potential damage claims.

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How to flush your plumbing

Suspension of sediment in the pipes may lead to discolored water in your private plumbing. If your cold water is reddish brown, rust colored, or has dark particles, it is most likely iron and/or manganese mineralization dislodged from the water mains.

Run cold water from a hose bib, bathtub, or utility sink. Run COLD water for 30 seconds, turn the water off for a few minutes, and repeat the process until it runs clear. Use a hose bib/spigot and direct the water to your landscape. If you do not have a hose bib, use a high-flow fixture such as a bathtub spigot or utility sink. These generally have a larger capacity and do not have faucet aerator screens, which can trap debris. Run cold water only.
Run remaining cold water fixtures. Run the remaining cold water faucets using the process above until they run clear. You may need to remove faucet screens (aerators) to remove debris that might cause clogs.
Run hot water fixtures. Once all cold water fixtures run clear, repeat the process with hot water fixtures. You may need to catch some water in a white cup or container to check for clarity. Discolored water from only the hot water faucets may indicate a hot water tank issue and you may need to flush your hot water heater or contact a plumber. If your cold water appears cloudy or milky it may be entrained oxygen bubbles- fill a clear glass with water and wait several seconds to see if it clears from the bottom to the top. If so, they are simply air bubbles and running the cold water for several minutes should clear it.
Check appliances. Do not use your clothes washer or other water appliances until the water runs clear. If your clothes washer was already in use, you may need to rewash your load after the water is clear. If you still experience discolored water in your washer, remove hoses and flush the water line to the washer.

If you continue to have discolored water please call (805) 564-5413.

Why do water mains break?

Water main breaks can happen due to various causes and are a normal part of water utility operations. Water mains fail when the stresses placed upon them are greater than the strength of the pipe. The material and the age of the pipe can also be contributing factors that lead to a water main break. The imbalance of stresses to the strength of a pipe may show itself in various ways such as joint leaks, pipe breaks, or service lines detached from a main. Main breaks are unpredictable and disruptive to customers; restoring service safely is the City’s top priority when responding to a break.

External forces on a water main include:

traffic loading
temperature changes
underground work that leads to direct or indirect impact to the pipe

Types of Mains

Transmission Mains: large mains with a diameter of 16 inches or greater, used to move large amounts of water across the community between pumping stations and reservoirs
Distribution Mains: smaller mains used to deliver water from transmission mains to customer service lines
Service Connections: individual connections owned by property owner that bring water from the distribution mains into a building or house

How does the City maintain water mains?

The City has several ongoing programs to prevent main breaks and other pipe failures. We continually monitor and improve our infrastructure to minimize disruptions while continuing to provide safe and efficient service.

The City has a program that prioritizes water mains in need of replacement; an average of 2% of the mains are replaced per year. There are approximately 300 miles of water mains in the City’s water distribution system. The goal of this program is to maintain a high level of water service and system reliability while still achieving a full, useful life for every water main. The main replacement program uses a scoring system to prioritize replacement and provide a systematic approach to the management of assets. Generally, the older the main and the more frequently it has experienced breaks, the higher the priority for its replacement.

To maintain water quality, the City performs water main flushing. To reduce the water loss associated with traditional flushing (opening fire hydrants) the City uses a new method and connects an advanced filtering truck between two fire hydrants to filter and recirculate the water back into the pipeline. Providing a clean and reliable water supply to the community is of the utmost importance to the City’s Water Resources Department.

Water Outages

What to expect during a water main break

How does the City respond to main breaks?

External forces on a water main include:

Types of Mains

See active and upcoming water main replacement projects →

Learn more:

City Hall

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Water Outages

What to expect during a water main break

How does the City respond to main breaks?

Learn more:

City Hall

Mailing Address

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