Prepare for a water outage

Menlo Park Municipal Water (MPMW) may occasionally shut off water service for a period of time due to water leaks, capital improvement projects, water quality concerns or natural disasters. Although it may not always be possible to prepare for a water outage, having water and supplies stocked up can help you feel more at ease in emergency situations.

Preparing for a planned water outage

Construction and development projects led by MPMW may require temporary water outages to facilitate utility improvements. These projects may require more than one water shutdown for up to 12 hours each. MPMW strives to provide advance notice of any planned water outages to minimize inconvenience. However, please be aware that in certain situations, immediate or unforeseen circumstances may prevent the City from notifying customers in advance. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work to maintain and improve our water services. Customers will be given an outage timeframe and the appropriate contact information for any concerns.

Before a planned service interruption:

• Fill pots on the stove with water for cooking
• Fill a couple of buckets with water for washing
• Fill potable water containers for drinking. Assume about one gallon of drinking water per person per day.
• Fill bathtubs with water and use buckets to flush toilets. A toilet will flush when approximately a gallon of water is poured into the bowl.
• Modify your schedule according to the outage timeframe. For example, try to take a shower before or after the outage timeframe.

Preparing for an emergency water outage

Customers are encouraged to take steps to be prepared in case water service is unexpectedly interrupted due to a water emergency. Water emergencies include water main breaks, water quality concerns and natural disasters. In these situations, MPMW may be unable to provide advance notice of outages. Additionally, customers may not be notified of outages for system maintenance lasting less than 30 minutes. In the event of an outage caused by a natural disaster, San Mateo County sends emergency alerts via email, text and voice calls through SMC Alert. Sign up at menlopark.gov/SMCAlert.

Ways to be prepared:

• The best way to ensure you have plenty of water during a water emergency is to stock up on bottled water.
• Store food that does not need to be cooked with water
• Have a supply of paper plates and disposable cutlery to use if water service will be shut off for extended periods of time.
• If water service is disrupted due to a disaster, the City will coordinate with San Mateo County to establish Points of Distribution to provide water to the community. Visit menlopark.gov/emergency to learn more about emergency & disaster preparedness.

What to do during an outage

• The most important thing to do during a water outage is to conserve the water you have available to you. This means utilizing water storages wisely until service is restored.
• During a water outage, avoid operating your water faucets. This will prevent air from entering your plumbing, which may cause damage to your appliances and fixtures.
• Use hand sanitizer instead of soap and water to clean your hands
• Limit physical activity to reduce dehydration

What to do after an outage

Water outages can sometimes cause temporary disruptions such as reduction in water pressure or discolored water. If you notice water discoloration after an outage, run water through your faucet for about one minute. Consider capturing this water to reuse for irrigating your plants or grass.