Water quality
Currently, all Menlo Park Municipal Water’s drinking water is supplied by the Hetch Hetchy regional water system, operated by the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.
The Hetch Hetchy system provides high quality drinking water to over 2 million people in the Bay Area. The SFPUC maintains a watershed control program that effectively limits or eliminates potential contamination to the water supply. The Hetch Hetchy water supply meets all federal and State criteria for watershed protection, disinfection treatment, bacteriological quality and operational standards, allowing the SFPUC and Menlo Park Municipal Water to provide customers with exceptionally high quality drinking water.
Menlo Park routinely monitors the distribution system for bacteriological quality, chlorine residual, general physical parameters and disinfection by-products. Regular testing is completed as required for lead and copper, samples are taken each week for bacteriological analysis.
Annual water quality reports
Backflow prevention (cross connection control) program
Menlo Park Municipal Water’s backflow prevention (cross connection control) program protects the public drinking water supply by requiring the installation and annual testing of backflow prevention assemblies per California Water Code Title 17. A cross connection is an actual or potential connection between a public water system and a non-potable source of water. Backflow is the undesirable reversal of flow of non-potable water into the water distribution system through a cross-connection. Properly installed and maintained backflow prevention assemblies protect the public water system and prevents water from flowing back into and contaminating the potable water supply. Assemblies are typically required for commercial, industrial, irrigation, fire, and new residential water connections.
For important information about backflow devices, who needs them, where to install them, and testing and maintenance requirements, refer to Menlo Park Municipal Water's backflow prevention (cross connection control) device installation guidelines(PDF, 241KB).
San Mateo County Environmental Health manages Menlo Park Municipal Water’s backflow prevention (cross connection control) program. The County establishes the list of certified testers, mails notifications to water account holders for annual testing, maintains records and performs site surveys as needed. For a list of approved backflow prevention assemblies, certified testers and frequently asked questions, visit the County’s website or contact the County at 650-372-6200.
Backflow Prevention Assembly
Backflow Prevention Map
