The city of Bakersfield and California Water Service Co. on Sunday lifted the do not drink, do not use advisory issued Tuesday to 42 commercial customers south of Truxtun Lake after an oil company allegedly allowed pressurized natural gas and crude oil into the municipal water system.
A notice issued just before 4:30 p.m. said that after several rounds of intensive, one-sided flushing, “test results have confirmed that it is safe to resume normal use of water from the water distribution system.”
“On behalf of the City of Bakersfield and the team… (Cal Water), we apologize for the inconvenience this customer misconnection and backflow event caused and appreciate your patience as we worked to restore the system to normal operations and confirm that the water was safe to use and drink again. Protecting your health and safety is our highest priority.”
The end of the advisory signals a return to normality for companies that have suffered substantial, if not total, disruptions. Those who managed to resume activity had to rent portable bathrooms, in some cases, and rely on bottled water even to wash their hands.
No residential properties were affected, but many healthcare businesses were, including surgery centers and an 86-bed rehabilitation hospital in the area, including Office Park Drive, Commercial Way, Commerce Drive and Truxtun Avenue between Mohawk Street and Westside Parkway.
State petroleum regulators said Friday that the contamination appears to have been caused by a valve or valves left partially open during a pipeline pressure test at a petroleum facility along Office Park Drive operated by Griffin Resources LLC, a petroleum producer. oil with offices in Bakersfield and Ventura.
State records say Griffin was doing the work in response to an order from the California Division of Geological Energy Management, whose inspectors reported finding, in one area, numerous leaks in a series of wells and in a flowline that was removed from service for years. At Griffin’s Office Park Drive site, where the water contamination apparently originated, CalGEM found electrical lines running through spilled oil partially covered with dirt, among other problems.
Anyone with questions about the lifting of the advisory was urged to contact the Cal Water Emergency Operations Center at 661-837-7243.
