In the wake of the recent run on bottled water and, for reasons no one is really quite clear on, toilet paper, a couple of the local Coachella Valley water agencies put out reminders Thursday that your tap water remains safe, reliable, and, perhaps most importantly, cost efficient during the coronavirus pandemic.
Tap water in the state of California is subjected to some of the strictest quality and safety standards in the world. The water out of your faucets and fridge is regulated by the California Water Resources Control Board and tap water providers, including those in the Coachella Valley, are required to do thorough testing and reporting.
“Local tap water is high quality,” said Desert Water Agency Lab Director, Paul Monroy. “It is a safe option for drinking, cleaning and cooking not only during this emergency but also on a daily basis.”
And the water agencies are working to insure those who work in the industry are doing so with strict guidelines to insure your safety.
“To prevent the spread of COVID-19, District employees are exercising preventative measures provided by the CDC,” noted Mission Springs Water District, in a press release. “MSWD has also activated a response plan which includes having employees stay at home when sick, keeping the office disinfected by the use of cleaners and hand sanitizers, postponing large staff gatherings and instituting working from home protocols, if necessary.”
So, basically, while you have a lot of things to be anxious about during this time, tap water is not one of those things.
“We want to ensure that people know tap water will be available even in a quarantine scenario,” said Desert Water Agency General Manager Mark Krause. “Most of our sites can be operated from a laptop or cell phone – and for those that cannot, we will have staff dispatched to keep the system running.”
As for where you can still buy get toilet paper, I do not know.
