LUCERNE, Calif. – On Saturday California Water Service and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water canceled a precautionary boil water advisory for a portion of the water system in the town of Lucerne.

The advisory had first been issued on Thursday for the 140 customers residing in the area bordered by Fifth Avenue on the north, Country Club Drive on the east, 11th Avenue on the south and the frontage road on the west, as Lake County News has reported.

Customers in that area of Lucerne had been advised to boil water or use bottled water for cooking, drinking and brushing teeth due to a temporary service interruption and main repair.  

Local Manager Darin McCosker told Lake County News that the issue that precipitated issuance of the notice began on Wednesday afternoon, when Cal Water staff found a leak in a water main in an easement in the area of Sixth and Seventh avenues.

When they started to shut the main down to repair the leak, a valve broke. McCosker said that meant they couldn’t isolate the leak, and had to widen the perimeter for the impacted area.

By 8 p.m. Wednesday, the crews buttoned up the leak and dropped in another valve. “We improved our infrastructure in the process. That’s what we always try to do,” McCosker said.

McCosker said Cal Water had to conduct two bacteriological samples of the water to confirm that it met all quality standards.

By Friday they had taken the first sample and confirmed it was OK, he said. That led on Saturday to Cal Water being able to lift the boil water advisory for the impacted portion of the system after the second test came through clear.

“We had advised customers to take this precautionary measure because protecting their health and safety is our highest priority,” said McCosker. “We apologize for this inconvenience and thank them for their patience during the advisory.”

McCosker said there is still a problem with a small section of the water main in the middle of the easement that was the source of the original leak.

He said it will require another isolated shutdown of the water system in that area, which McCosker said they want to do sometime in the next two weeks. Customers will be notified ahead of time.

Customers who purchased bottled water during the advisory can bring their receipts to the Cal Water Customer Center in Lucerne, located at 6125 East Highway 20, for reimbursement. Or, they may mail them to P.O. Box 1133, Lucerne, CA 95458 to the attention of Darin McCosker.

Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.