Frequently Asked Questions

The water coming into your home is controlled by the house valve, which can be found ahead of the water spigot in your front yard. (If you live in an older home, the house valve may be located elsewhere.) The valve handle is usually red, grey or green and is shaped like a wagon wheel. Should you ever need to shut off your water, simply turn the house valve clockwise. You will probably want to close the valve if a water pipe in your home ever breaks to prevent water damage and flooding. If you discover that your house lacks water, the first thing you should do is check the house valve to see if someone has accidentally closed it. To open the valve, turn it counterclockwise. To make sure you can readily control the flow of water to your home, you should periodically test your house valve. If it does not turn or spins freely, it should be repaired or replaced as soon as possible. A plumber can do this work quite easily.

The odor of rotten eggs or sewage in the water is usually caused by sewer gases forming in the household drain. These gases are formed by bacteria which live on food, soap, hair, and other organic matter in the drain. These gases are heavier than air and remain in the drain until the water is turned on. As the water runs down the drain, the gases are expelled into the atmosphere around the sink. It is natural to associate these odors with the water because they are observed only when the water is turned on. However, the odor is not in the water, it is simply the water pushing the gas out of the drain. Disinfecting the drain will remove the bacteria in the drain that are causing these foul odors. Caution: do not mix any drain cleaners or detergents with bleach; certain combinations can create toxic fumes. 1. Run the cold water for about 15 seconds into the drain that is to be disinfected, then turn the water off. 2. Pour approximately one to two cups of liquid chlorine bleach (laundry bleach) down the drain. Pour the bleach slowly around the edges of the drain so that it runs down the sides of the drain. Be careful: bleach may cause eye damage, skin irritation, and may damage clothing. 3. If the odor is coming from a sink with a garbage disposal, turn the disposal on for a few seconds while the bleach is being poured. This will disperse the bleach around the inside of the disposal. Caution: take care to avoid splashing for the few seconds the disposal is turned on. Bleach may cause eye damage, skin irritation, and may damage clothing. 4. Allow the bleach to remain undisturbed in the drain for about 10 minutes. Caution: prolonged contact with metals may cause pitting and/or discoloration. 5. After 10 minutes, run hot water into the drain for a minute or two to flush out the bleach. If a garbage disposal was disinfected, thoroughly flush it as well. 6. Repeat this procedure if the odor returns.

A sulfurous or rotten egg-like odor in the hot water is caused by bacteria growing in the water heater. This growth usually happens when the water heater is turned off while on vacation, when the hot water has not been used for a long time, or when the temperature setting on the heater is set too low. While the bacteria in the water heater are not a health threat, they must be eliminated to remove the odor problem. Heat disinfection is used to eliminate the bacteria. It involves draining the water heater, maximizing the temperature in the water heater, and then draining the water heater again. If you do not feel comfortable doing this work yourself, hire a licensed plumber to do it for you. 1. Select a time to drain the water heater. We recommend an evening since this will minimize the impact your typical use of hot water. 2. Turn the thermostat on the heater off so that only the pilot light remains on. If the heater is drained while the heating flame is on, the heater may be damaged. 3. Turn off the water supply to the water heater. There may be a valve to do this right at the inlet to the water heater, or the water supply to the entire property may need to be shut off at the house valve. 4. Open one or more hot water faucets inside the house. This allows air to enter the heater as the water drains out in step 6. 5. Attach a garden hose to the draincock located at the bottom of the water heater. The draincock usually looks like a regular hose bib (garden faucet) or a round dial with a threaded hole in the middle. 6. Extend the garden hose to a place where the water can be disposed of (e.g. a drain, the driveway, etc.). 7. Open the draincock and allow all of the water to drain out of the water heater. This can take anywhere from five minutes to half an hour or more depending on the capacity of the heater and the size of the draincock. Caution: the draining water will be very hot. Also note that if the draincock is made of plastic and the water heater is several years old, it may be difficult to open and may break easily if forced. 8. When the water heater is empty, close the draincock and remove the garden hose. 9. Turn the water supply to the water heater back on. Leave the hot water faucet(s) inside the house turned on. This will allow the air in the water heater to escape as it refills with water. There will likely be "hissing" sounds and/or "spitting and sputtering" as air and water begin coming out of the hot water faucets. When the water flow from the faucet(s) returns to normal, shut them off. 10. That night (before going to bed), turn the thermostat for the water heater to its highest temperature setting for one night. Caution: make sure everyone who uses the water is aware that the hot water is going to be hotter than usual. 11. The next morning, turn the thermostat on the heater off so that only the pilot light remains on. If the heater is drained while the heating flame is on, the heater may be damaged. 12. Drain and refill the water heater by repeating steps 2 through 8. 13. Return the thermostat on the water heater to the normal setting (usually around 130°F).

Water heaters should be flushed at least once a year - twice a year is even better - to control the build-up of mineral deposits. The water heater will operate more fuel efficiently and will last longer. The water heater will also need to be flushed if the hot water becomes yellow or brown due to an accumulation of rust or if you find sand-like mineral sediment in the hot water. If you do not feel comfortable doing this work yourself, hire a licensed plumber to do it for you. 1. Do not shut off the gas or the water supply to the heater. 2. Attach a garden hose to the draincock located at the bottom of the heater. The draincock usually looks like a regular hose bib (garden faucet) or a round dial with a threaded hole in the middle. 3. Extend the garden hose to a place where the water can safely exit the heater (e.g. a drain, a driveway, etc.). 4. Open the draincock to allow the water to exit the heater. Caution: the water leaving the heater will be hot and under normal household water pressure. Also note that if the draincock is made of plastic and the heater is several years old, it may be difficult to open and may break easily if forced. 5. After five minutes of flushing, fill a bucket with the still flushing water. 6. Allow the water in the bucket to stand undisturbed for a minute and see if the water has cleared or if any sand-like material settles to the bottom. If the water has cleared and no sand-like material is observed, go on to step 7. If the water is discolored and/or sand-like material is observed at the bottom of the bucket, repeat steps 5 and 6 until the water is completely clear and free of sediment. 7. Close the draincock and remove the garden hose.

ACWD is responsible for the materials and water quality up to and including the customers’ water meter. The customer is responsible for the materials on their side of the meter including the service line and all of the building’s internal plumbing. How do I contact ACWD if I have a question about or a problem with my drinking water? You can call us at (510) 668-6500.

If you have questions, concerns, or comments, please contact ACWD at (510) 668-6500.