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Pipeline Branch Line Replacement affecting Skyview Terrace below the filter plant to 23524 Skyview Terrace & some homes on the Sunset cul-de-sac

Water will be off from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Wednesday 4/5/2023 for an emergency pipeline repair. The outage will affect homes on Deerfield Road, Cove Lane, and the lower section of Skyview Terrace, down to the lower Villa including Troy Road and Skyview Court.

Water will be off from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Wednesday 2/22/2023 for an
emergency pipeline repair. The leak is significant and must be repaired at once.

The outage will affect homes on Skyview Terrace below the filter plant down to
23524 Skyview Terrace and a few homes on culdesac on Sunset Dr.

Water will be off from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday 2/19/2023 for an emergency pipeline repair. The outage will affect homes from 23524 Skyview Terrace down to the lower Villa including Belaire Court and Treeview Trail.

The leak is significant and must be repaired at once.

Water will be off on Thursday February 2nd on the lower portion of the uphill distribution system which includes the customers on upper Skyview Terrace and the few homes on lower Sunset Drive that are fed from the Skyview terrace line. The shut off will be approximately 9 hours long from 8 am to 5 pm.

The repair on the 1st was completed, but another 18 gallon per minute leak was found on upper Skyview Terrace and needs to be repaired.

Water will be off on Wednesday February 1st on the uphill distribution system which includes the customers on upper Skyview Terrace, Sunset Drive, and Summit Road. The shut off will be approximately 9 hours long from 8 am to 5 pm.

It is with great relief that we report that we received our propane fill today!!! So we now have the ability to provide water to our uphill customers for several weeks. Whew!!! 

NOTICE to members on the "uphill" portion of the system.  (This notice doesn't apply to members on the "gravity" system.) How do you know which section you are on? Check out the FAQ at https://vdmwater.com/faq.

Our uphill water system relies on a propane-powered generator to pump water when PG&E is off. Our propane level gage is now reading 0%, and we are finally supposed to receive an emergency propane delivery on Friday (the 13th). 

It is recommended to prepare for a water outage now (e.g. set water aside, shower tonight, etc.) in case PG&E fails again before we get the propane delivery.

Members,

Walking the reservoir site I noticed our contractor left behind a pallet of sand bags left over from the tank construction project. (+/- 40 bags)

We would like to make these available to our VDM neighbors if needed on a first come first served basis.

They are behind the locked gate so I will have to meet people there to access them. I can be available today if you are interested.

Call me on my cell phone.

Mike Miller

President

Villa del Monte Mutual Water Company

November 17 Water Off Notice

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December 5, 2021

Hi everyone,

Good news!

Our new 176,000-gallon drinking water storage tank has received approval from the State Water Resources Control Board to be connected to our distribution system.

Bad news…

This will require a water shut off for all of our members to allow the final piping connection to be connected to our distribution system.

We are scheduling the shut down for next Wednesday December 15^th.

We expect the water to be turned off at about 8:00AM that morning and not return until +/- 4:00 in the afternoon.

Please plan your morning activities so this does not impact your work or school schedules.

Some people do not know that most toilets can have water added into the tank using a bucket of water which allows them to flush normally. Having a bucket or watering can staged ahead of time with water can help make the day be less stressful!

Thanks for your cooperation

Mike Miller
President
Villa del Monte Mutual Water Company

======================================================

CONSUMER ALERT DURING WATER OUTAGES OR PERIODS OF LOW PRESSURE

1. If you are experiencing water outages or low water pressure, immediately discontinue any non-essential water use. This includes all outdoor irrigation and car washing.  Minimizing use will reduce the potential for the water system to lose pressure or run out of water.  Please notify your water system if you experience an outage or low pressure.
   
   
2. If the water looks cloudy or dirty, you should not drink it. Upon return of normal water service, you should flush the hot and cold water lines until the water appears clear and the water quality returns to normal.
   
   
3. If you are concerned about the water quality or are uncertain of its safety, you may add eight drops of household bleach to one gallon of water and let it sit for 30 minutes or alternatively, if you are able, water can be boiled for one minute at a rolling boil to ensure it is safe for consumption.
   
   
4. Use of home treatment devices does not guarantee the water supply is safe after low pressure situations.

5. Do not be alarmed if you experience higher than normal chlorine concentrations in your water supply since the State Water Resources Control Board is advising public water utilities to increase chlorine residuals in areas subject to low pressure or outages.

6. The State Water Resources Control Board has also advised public water systems to increase the bacteriological water quality monitoring of the distribution system in areas subject to low pressure. This may include collecting samples in your area to confirm that the water remains safe for consumption.  You will be promptly advised if the sampling reveals a water quality problem.

8. Your water system is committed to ensuring that an adequate quantity of clean, wholesome, and potable water is delivered to you. We recommend that you discuss the information in this notice with members of your family to assure that all family members are prepared should water outages or low water pressure occur.
9. It is recommended that ice maker made ice be dumped for during and after repair period.

Contact Information:
Gary Mackenzie, Water system operator, 831-682-1848, ggmwater@gmail.com
Emergency Number is 408-353-0271,

Villa Del Monte Mutual Water Website       www.vdmwater.org

State Water Control Resources Board        831-655-6939

If you are not sure if you are affected, look here on the FAQ.

We ask that you minimize you water use on Wednesday during the piping work and throughout this power outage. Until the new tank is ready to be placed online, we have a limited amount of water that we can store to ride through interruptions like these.

News on the New Tank Project.

As such, we need to be following their water rationing guidelines.

You can read their press release. Their restrictions that apply to our neighborhood are:

• Limits on Watering Days: Watering or irrigating of lawns, landscape or other vegetated areas with potable water is limited to two days per week.
• Limits on Watering: Watering or irrigating of outside plants, lawn, landscape, and turf areas with potable water using a landscape irrigation system or a watering device that is not continuously attended is limited to no more than 15 minutes of watering per day per station, with no watering between 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. This provision does not apply to landscape irrigation zones that exclusively use drip-type irrigation systems. This provision also does not apply to low precipitation sprinkler systems that apply water at or less than 1.0 inch per hour. This provision also does not apply to watering or irrigating by use of a hand-held bucket or similar container, a hand-held hose equipped with a positive action shut-off nozzle or device that causes it to cease dispensing water immediately when not in use, or for the express purpose of adjusting or repairing an irrigation system. However, no irrigation can occur regardless of method that results in runoff.
• Use of potable water for watering outside plants, lawn, landscape, and turf areas during and up to 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
• The use of potable water in a fountain or other decorative water device that does not have a fully automatic recirculation system, or the filling or topping off of decorative lakes or ponds, except where the water is part of a recirculating system.
• Limits on Filling Decorative Fountains or Ornamental Lakes or Ponds: prohibition of the use of potable water for filling or re-filling decorative fountains, ornamental lakes or ponds more than one foot, except when fountains or ponds/lakes are drained for repairs, and except to the extent needed to sustain aquatic life in ponds/lakes, provided that such animals are of significant value and have been actively managed within the water feature prior to declaration of a supply shortage level under this Rule.
• Limits on Washing Vehicles: Washing of vehicles, except at a commercial car washing facility that utilizes recycled water or re-circulating water system to capture or reuse water.
• Use of potable water for washing buildings, structures, sidewalks, walkways, driveways, patios, tennis courts, or other hard-surfaced, non-porous areas, except to protect the health and safety of the public.
• Use of potable water for construction purposes, including washing streets, backfill, and dust control, if other actions to accomplish the same purposes without water are feasible and/or permitted or if recycled water is reasonably available as determined by a government agency.
• Obligation to Fix Leaks, Breaks, or Malfunctions: Use of water through any broken or defective plumbing fixture, sprinkler, watering or irrigation system on the customer’s premises when the utility has notified the customer in writing to repair the broken or defective plumbing fixture, sprinkler, watering or irrigation system, and the customer has failed to make such repairs within 72 hours after receipt of such notice.

How to know what part of the system you are in: https://vdmwater.com/faq#pressurezone

They said: "The requested shutdown time is from 8 am to 5 pm although we will endeavor to keep the shutdown period as short as possible."

Please review this water outage advisory for more details on what to do after service is restored.

Thank you for your understanding. For your reference, you can find more information about the project on our projects page.

To find out if you are in the pressure-fed portion of the system, check out the FAQ, or go to this Google Map to zoom in on your house.

You hould have received a water-off advisory handout in your mailbox with details on what to do after the pressure is restored if you are affected.

• We request that all homeowners reduce their non-critical water consumption.
• Please eliminate or reduce outdoor landscape and lawn water usage.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through texts & email messages and on our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

So we will remain in a water emergency even after our power comes back in the Villa. We will send out a news update when we are back to our "normal" condition of Water Supply Warning until the storage tank is replaced.

• You are required to stop all outside watering including lawns, gardens, landscape, pools and ponds served by our water system.
• You must reduce indoor water usage by limiting shower times, reduce laundry cycles, and yes, only essential flushing.
• If the outage continues and we cannot supply the demand, the board may decide to have water delivered by truck to the main tank in an effort to avoid a boil water condition.

Your cooperation is essential to the system not running out of water and to avoiding boil-water notifications once the water supply is restored.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through these messages and our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

• You are required to stop all outside watering including lawns, gardens, landscape, pools and ponds served by our water system.
• You must reduce indoor water usage by limiting shower times, reduce laundry cycles, and yes, only essential flushing.
• If the outage continues, the board may decide to have water delivered by truck to the main tank in an effort to avoid a boil water condition.

Your cooperation is essential to the system not running out of water and to avoiding boil-water notifications once the water supply is restored.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through these messages and our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

Instructions on how to join the Zoom meeting, and a proxy form were included in your last bill. If you need them sent to you again, please send John Overstreet an email at: john@vdmwater.com 

10:05 am - There is a water main break that is being investigated on Skyview Terrace near Belaire Court. This may require that the gravity-fed portion of the system be shut down during the repair. We will be updating this page on the website throughout the day as we dig down and get eyes on the break.

Please continue to check here for further updates during the day. We will only be sending another alert when the repair is complete.

• We request that all homeowners reduce their non-critical water consumption.
• Please eliminate or reduce outdoor landscape and lawn water usage.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through texts & email messages and on our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

• You are required to stop all outside watering including lawns, gardens, landscape, pools and ponds served by our water system.
• You must reduce indoor water usage by limiting shower times, reduce laundry cycles, and yes, only essential flushing.
• If the outage continues, the board may decide to have water delivered by truck to the main tank in an effort to avoid a boil water condition.

Your cooperation is essential to the system not running out of water and to avoiding boil-water notifications once the water supply is restored.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through these messages and our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

The Villa Del Monte Mutual Water System in conjunction with the State Water Resources Control Board, has determined that, through abatement of the health hazard and comprehensive testing of the water, your water is safe to drink.  It is no longer necessary to boil your tap water or for you to consume bottled water.

For more information call:

• Water Utility contact: Gary Mackenzie, Operator: (831-682-1848), (408-353-0271) - www.vdmwater.com
• State Water Resources Control Board: (831-655-6939)
• Samples

The areas affected are: Deerfield Court, West Lower Skyview Terrace, Cove Lane, Lower Skyview Terrace, and between Skyview Court and Treeview Trail. 

If you know of neighbors who are not getting these alerts, please let them know how to sign up for alerts on our website.

The Villa Del Monte Mutual Water System in conjunction with the State Water Resources Control Board, has determined that, through abatement of the health hazard and comprehensive testing of the water, your water is safe to drink.  It is no longer necessary to boil your tap water or for you to consume bottled water.

For more information call:

• Water Utility contact: Gary Mackenzie, Operator: (831-682-1848), (408-353-0271) - www.vdmwater.com
• State Water Resources Control Board: (831-655-6939)

The boil water notice affects customers on Summit Rd, Sunset Dr, DelMonte Way, and upper Skyview Terrace.

The State's rules are that there need to be two consecutive tests with no coiform bacteria present before we can release the boil water notice. We are waiting for the results of the tests and are hoping that they will be back before Thanksgiving. Once we know, we will send out a notice so that you know.

The boil water notice affects customers on Summit Rd, Sunset Dr, DelMonte Way, and upper Skyview Terrace.

If you are unsure if this affects you, water pressure has been removed from the effected areas. If you did have water pressure loss you are not under a boil water notice.

If you are unsure if this affects you, water pressure has been removed from the effected areas. If you have water pressure on Saturday monring you are not under a boil water notice.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through these messages and our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is normally not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

Because of the extended power outage we are in a Water Supply Emergency – Water is not available from Laurel Creek and the San Jose Water company connection is not operating due to the power outage.

• You are required to stop all outside watering including lawns, gardens, landscape, pools and ponds served by our water system.
• You must reduce indoor water usage by limiting shower times, reduce laundry cycles, and yes, only essential flushing.
• If the outage continues, the board may decide to have water delivered by truck to the main tank in an effort to avoid a boil water condition.

Your cooperation is essential to the system not running out of water and to avoiding boil-water notifications once the water supply is restored.

We will keep you informed as conditions change through these messages and our website.

Since our large storage tank is failing we are operating with our 30,000 gallon storage tank farm. This contains a little more than 1 day of your maximum day's usage. Under normal conditions we receive water from San Jose Water company 3-4 times a day. So this is not a problem.

Refer to the Tank Replacement and Treatment Upgrade Project for more information on the plan to get back to normal operation.

We are still only using water from San Jose Water Company with limited storage capacity. Since the pipeline serving us runs through a pump station that does not have a built in generator, our supply of water will be interrupted during the outage.

If the power does go out, we all need to immediately reduce our water usage. Remember, the biggest use for most customers is the irrigation system, so please turn it off during the outage.

You may also want to have a several gallons of stored water just in case our service is affected.

We did have a leak repaired earlier this week on lower Skyview Terrace. Even after flushing the lines several times, some homes are still experiencing cloudy water. The cloudy water is just trapped air in the lines. 

We sent a water sample to the test lab on 9/26 and received the results yesterday. The test results show a normal residual chlorine level and test zero for coliforms and e-coli bacteria. (see the attached test report)

If you are still seeing cloudy water, please feel free to run some additional water either from a hose bib or your bathtub (cold water only) for an extra 20-minutes or so to see if this helps clear the branch lines to your home.  If this extra water use causes a significant change to your water bill next month, please contact our bookkeeper Jennifer and I will authorize her to make an adjustment.

We will be checking again in a couple of days and flush the main again if necessary.

Mike Miller
President
Villa Del Monte Water Company

During the main replacement, the water will be off on the upper pressure system including Sunset, Del Monte Way, Summit Road and upper Skyview Lane. The water should be off between 8:30 to 5:00, but could be longer.

Thank you for your understanding.

Remember that you can connect with us on our website: https://vdmwater.com/contact-us

An alert was sent out to let everyone know.

After the transformer fell off the pole on Sunday (news article), we are continuing to troubleshoot a communications issue that is keeping the pump station from operating in automatic mode.  Because of this we have decided to move our system status back to Water Emergency and sent out an alert to all users to conserve water. 

Please turn off your irrigation systems so that they do not run during this emergency.

The emergency will remain in place until the pump station is repaired and normal operation is resumed.

Some time overnight one of the transformers feeding our pump station on Old Santa Cruz Highway broke loose from the pole and was hanging by its wires. It had broken the insulation tower of the other transformer and blown one of the three fuses. See photo below.

06:45 - We started troubleshooting.

08:45 - The pump station was not sending water into the main distribution tanks, so we called PG&E when we got to the pump station and found the voltages to be very wrong (& saw the transformers).

11:13 - Alert sent:

"Water Supply Problem

Urgent: Conserve water!

The power outage last night caused a problem with our pump station on Old Santa Cruz Hwy. PG&E is on site trying to resolve it. We have a very limited amount of water in the storage tanks, so please do everything you can to conserve.

We will send out another notice when the pump is working."

12:20 - PG&E arrived and by 1:00 had removed the damaged and dangling transformers and left since another crew was coming up with two new transformers.

3:30 pm - The contractors had arrived to install the transformers, but the truck with the transformers had not arrived yet.

4:50 pm - The transformers were installed and the power was restored to the pump station and it is once again pumping water into our distribution tank.

5:30 pm - The level in the Villa's main tank is now high enough to clear all alarms and operate normally.  The controls at the pump station still need some looking at, but we can remove the emergency alert now.

7:03 pm - Alert Sent:

"Water Supply Restored

Alert level reduced from Emergency to Warning.

Power has been restored at the pump station so conservation measures are not required. Thank you for helping all of us through this by conserving so well!

For details about what happened please go to the news page where the chronology of the event is shown."

8:10 pm - Continued troubleshooting has revealed that although the system can be run manually there was some damage due to the dangling transformer that is keeping the system from operating in automatic mode. We will continue troubleshooting and will notify PG&E of any equipment damage caused by the transformer failure.

April 26, 2019: Water Main Repair Notice

March 16, 2019: Upcoming Annual Shareholder's Meeting

We are excited to announce that our new website has launched and includes all the information our community needs related to their water service. Check back often, as we will be adding information every day. It is in the same place but updated with extra communications capabilities: https://www.vdmwater.com

Once you are on our website click the big orange "Sign Up for Alerts" button on the right of every page to subscribe and to receive news and alerts via email and text. If you previously sent in your contact info you are already pre-subscribed. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of each communication and on the website (under the "Sign Up" button).

Let us know what you think! There's a feedback form at the bottom of every page.

A bacteriological analysis found the water to be safe to drink. If you are interested in the results, the analysis can be found here. Details on the Water outage. 

There will be a follow-up alert when the bacteriological analysis is available.

Be sure to subscribe to alerts!