What's at stake?
Residents are urged to protect themselves by boiling their water until further notice.
Malaga-area residents received warnings early Friday from water district officials urging them to boil their tap water until further notice after E. coli bacteria was detected in the water system.
According to the notice posted Friday and reviewed by Fresnoland, water samples tested positive for contamination on Jan. 20, but the potentially deadly bacteria was not found in the supply one day later.
“We will inform you when tests show that water is safe to drink, and you no longer need to boil your water,” authorities said in Friday’s notice. “We anticipate resolving the problem within one week or sooner.”
Officials from the Malaga County Water District and the State Water Resources Control Board’s Fresno office could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.
Malaga, a community of fewer than 700 people southeast of Fresno, has struggled with water quality issues, including contamination, for years. Nearly 10 years ago, the Malaga County Water District caught a $1 million fine from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board for failing to fully implement the federally required wastewater pretreatment program.
E.coli exposure can cause illness, including diarrhea, vomiting and cramps and, in some cases, E. coli infections can be life-threatening, according to the World Health Organization.
For more information on how to properly boil potentially contaminated water, visit the Centers for Disease Control website here.
Malaga is far from alone among small, struggling water districts in California. It was one of 13 small local districts identified in a 2020 report as a candidate to consolidate its water system with the City of Fresno.
