Many in Santa Cruz Mountains without power and water during heat wave

BOULDER CREEK, Calif. (KION) About 3,000 homes north of Ben Lomond were under a do not drink and do not boil order. A few thousand homes are also still without power as PG&E works to restore the damaged infrastructure from the CZU Lightning Complex Fires.

Monday evening, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District will announce about 2,500 homes in the Boulder Creek area will be able to use their water again, according to district manager Rick Rogers.

“There’s no contamination to date in our system, and the areas that will be re-opening are the Highway 9 Corridor, Downtown Boulder Creek area, Bear Creak Road, and north Boulder Creek,” Rogers said.

Flames melted pipes and water tanks causing concern that it contaminated the source. Now only 300 homes in the fire affected areas are left without water.

“The areas that we’re re-opening to drinkable water are areas that just lost pressure during the fire,” Rogers said. "“As we move into these areas where there’s still a do not drink that’s where the heavy damage was. Until we get those results back we can’t be sure.

In the meantime, Boulder Creek residents are picking up packages of bottled water, downtown.

“I haven’t been given the go-ahead to bathe, cook or wash,” Boulder Creek resident Michael Lauren said.

Another concern heightened by the heat is power outages. PG&E has spent the last few weeks restoring power, and putting up new lines but there are still many areas without electricity.

“We still have no power so we went out and bought a generator, and I’m on my way to pick up more gas cans to add to the three or four that I already had,” Boulder Creek resident Robert Ballou said.

If you’re still under a do not drink order, the water district says you can shower if you get in and out quickly. They recommend using luke warm water.

If the remaining water source is not contaminated, the remaining do not drink orders could be lifted as soon as this weekend.