Sonoma State University’s water system dates back over 50 years, and issues with the quality of the water pressure in the pipeline and the safety of the water for students to drink is a recurring issue. On several occasions the last two years, Sonoma State issued water restrictions for residents on campus. Now, almost a year later, students are wondering if the issue is resolved.
Routine checks of the water supply line are performed every April, and other than those yearly inspections, the water is only checked if there is a loss of pressure or damage to the system. Associate Vice President of Strategic Communication for the University, Paul Gullixson, believes that there will be no more issues with the water system in the near future, and that it is all in good working order.
While the optimism is encouraging to students, as reported by the STAR last semester, lack of available resources makes a much needed replacement of the system unlikely, and this leaves the campus vulnerable to another disruptive event.
Last April, students received warnings from the University saying, “due to an unanticipated drop in water pressure in our well-fed water system, Facilities Management is required to advise those on campus to use bottled water or boiled tap water for drinking and cooking purposes.”
This disruption was hard for students because many did not have access to bottled water. Sonoma State did pass out water bottles while the water restrictions were in place, but many students complained that there was not an adequate supply.
Chris Tessier, a resident on campus last April, stated that there was a lot of confusion in the email sent out during the water disruption, saying, “I just wish they were more open about the real problem at hand. We just didn’t know how unsafe the water was, or if we should be using it at all.”
Gullixson explained that during prior water disruptions no contamination was detected in the water system. “The water restriction was put in place because of the loss of pressure in the water pipeline, and there never was any contamination in the water supply.” Last April, the water was most likely completely fine, but could have been unsafe due to the loss of pressure in the pipes, and state regulations require the University to act with an abundance of caution.
The largest disruption occurred on April 7th, 2019, when active construction on campus caused the pressure in the water line system to drop. Sonoma State immediately notified the State of California that there was a loss of pressure in their water system. The law requires that water safety tests be performed if pressure drops below mandated levels. Even though the pressure was fixed in the water system fairly quickly, two days of testing were required before it was confirmed safe to drink. Comprehensive tests were conducted on Monday and Tuesday, April 8-9. These tests measured the amount of lead, copper, and bacterium present. By Wednesday the 10th, Sonoma State released an email stating the water was safe to drink again without boiling.
