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"Do not drink" and "do not use" the tap water in a corporate park in Bakersfield, California, says a new advisory issued by the City of Bakersfield Water System and operator California Water Service.
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On Tuesday, commercial businesses on specific streets in Bakersfield were informed not to drink their tap water after oil was found in the water source. Bakersfield Vice Mayor Andrae Gonzales shared the news on his personal Instagram page.
The statement warns that "failure to follow this advisory could result in illness." According to the Hawaii State Department of Health, "drinking water containing petroleum hydrocarbons can cause an upset stomach, stomach cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Your throat and mouth may also get irritated."
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California Water Service (Cal Water) communications director Yvonne Kingman told Newsweek in a phone call on Thursday that the water contamination problem was caused "after a commercial customer who operates a crude oil storage facility improperly connected its equipment to a hose bib on its property," which then "caused oil to back-flow into the water distribution system."
"It is not common for this to happen, it's unprecedented for us," she said. Cal Water crews have safety protocols and "have since conducted multiple rounds of intensive, unidirectional flushing to scour the water main, and water quality testing is currently underway." The crews also "isolated this area from the rest of the water system" to ensure minimal spread.
Kingman said Cal Water is providing bottled water to customers, and noted that a few businesses "had to be temporarily closed."
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Newsweek reached out via email to Gonzales, Mayor Karen Goh and the Bakersfield Water Resources Department on Thursday.
The Bakersfield city manager's office informed Newsweek via email Thursday morning that the city is "experiencing a water quality issue for commercial customers in the area along Truxtun Avenue." The statement added that the advisory impacts 42 commercial customers and "no residential customers have been impacted at this time."
The city is working with California Water Service and other relevant agencies to "investigate the cause and to ensure compliance and accountability," the statement said. The city's domestic water system is "operated and maintained by California Water Service."
The warning comes at a time when Bakersfield, a city nearly 100 miles north of Los Angeles, reached 100 degrees Wednesday. The National Weather Service (NWS) placed the city under an "excessive heat warning" until Friday evening. Thursday is expected to be the city's hottest day in 2024, with record temperatures nearing 108.
Bakersfield isn't the only city feeling the heat as many Southern and Southwestern areas of the country are experiencing extreme temperatures caused by a heat dome, which occurs when a ridge of high pressure gets trapped in the atmosphere.
Regarding the wave of extreme heat, which is categorized as a 3, Red, the NWS said: "This level of rare and/or long-duration extreme heat with little to no overnight relief affects anyone without effective cooling and/or adequate hydration."
The advisory says that impacted commercial buildings should use bottled water for all purposes beyond drinking, including "brushing teeth, washing hands, washing dishes, making ice, and preparing food." Kingman said that people can flush toilets with the contaminated water, but should not wash their hands with it.
Bakersfield recommends saving receipts for bottled water purchases to be reimbursed by the city.
Updated 06/06/24, 5:22 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include comment from Cal Water.
About the writer
Mandy Taheri is a Newsweek reporter based in Brooklyn. She joined Newsweek as a reporter in 2024. You can get ... Read more