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1. Will my water be disconnected during the shelter-in-place order?

No, shutoffs and disconnections will not occur during this time. 

2. What is Menlo Park Municipal Water doing to ensure customers are protected from COVID-19?

We are carefully monitoring the state and national advisories regarding COVID-19. We are also taking precautionary steps to protect the health of our employees.

• During this time, all City facilities are closed to the public. We are asking customers to conduct their business with us by phone, email or online.
• We have shared with our employees the preventative measures provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on how they can minimize the risk of catching COVID-19.
• We have robust emergency operations and business continuity plans that include the possibility of a pandemic. We have already and will continue to update them for COVID-19, as necessary, to meet our service obligations to our customers and communities.

3. Is my drinking water safe?

Yes, your water is safe. Menlo Park Municipal Water purchases all of its water from San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), which comes from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir in the Yosemite Valley, surface water from local watersheds, and/or imported water from the Sunol Valley Water Treatment plant.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA), current treatment methods used by SFPUC are sufficient to disinfect water for contaminants, including COVID-19.

4. Should I be concerned about COVID-19 in my drinking water?

According to the CDC, the virus is thought to spread mainly from person-to-person in the following ways:

• Between people who are in close contact with one another (within about 6 feet).
• Through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. 
• It may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it, and then touching their own mouth, nose or possibly their eyes. However, according to the CDC, “this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”

5. Can the COVID-19 virus spread through pools and hot tubs?

According to the CDC, there is no evidence that COVID-19 can be spread to humans through the use of pools and hot tubs. Proper operation, maintenance, and disinfection (e.g., with chlorine and bromine) of pools and hot tubs should remove or inactivate the virus that causes COVID-19.

6. What if I or someone in my household has COVID-19 or cold or flu-like symptoms and I need to schedule field service appointment?

During this time, scheduled-in-person field investigations will be postponed to ensure safe social distancing. We are committed to the health and well-being of our employees and customers. Keeping our employees away from situations where the virus may be present will help to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

If you or someone in your household has COVID-19, or is suspected of having COVID-19 based on an exposure or recent travel, please call and reschedule the appointment for a later date after the quarantine period has ended.

7. Are you aware of any employees who have been exposed to COVID-19?

We are not aware of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst our employees. If this were to change, we would work with state and local public health officials to address the issue and protect the health of employees and customers.

8. What options do you offer since I am unable to come to your office in person to discuss my account?

Our goal is to protect our employees and other customers who may enter our workspace.

If you or someone you are associated with has recently traveled to one of the critical areas identified by the CDC as high risk for COVID-19 – or has otherwise been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19 – we ask that you give us a call at 844-463-6567 or 650-330-6750 for any help with your account or water service.

9. Where can I find more information on COVID-19?

For more information, please refer to these official sources:

• San Mateo County Health, smchealth.org/coronavirus
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cdc.gov/coronavirus
• City of Menlo Park, menlopark.org/coronavirus