Paperless Billing

Starting early next year, you will have the option of receiving your water bill via email instead of via the US Postal Service paper mail. If you do not select email billing (or if you do nothing) you will continue to receive a paper bill as usual.

Email billing can be convenient for you for when you are away or if you don’t reside all year in your Irish Hills home. It also saves paper and postage costs for your water company.

This new service is opt-in. Unless you explicitly say you want email bills, you will continue to receive paper bills via the USPS.

To make your choice, please fill out the form below.

New email address

Dear IHMWC customer,

The contact email for the Irish Hills Mutual Water Company has changed. Please update your address books with this new information:

New email: info@irishhillswater.org

Note that the old email address used to end in “.com” and the new one ends in “.org” and that’s the only thing that changed. Any mail sent to the old address as of 5:00AM on 10/25/2024 is lost. If you sent email after that time, please re-send to the new address above.

All other contact information remains the same. Here is all the current contact info for handy reference, as well as a vcard you can import into your computer or phone’s address book:

Irish Hills Mutual Water Company

215 Via Laguna Vista
San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
(805) 546-1305
email: info@irishhillswater.org
website: irishhillswater.org

Download VCard

Our Water Quality (2023 Consumer Confidence Report)

The 2023 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is now posted below. This annual report on the water quality from our wells was published May 23, 2024 and covers the time from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.

The enclosed pdf gives all of the information you need to make informed decisions about your water quality. Our water’s hardness was given as 383ppm (same as 2022 and a little softer than 2021 which was 391.7ppm). The issue with bacteria at three well sites that we previously reported is mentioned in this report. At no time was there any bacteria detected in the treated water.

The table on the last page calls out items of note. Please read the document for more detail. Here is a summary:

• Iron in wells A & B, and manganese levels in Well 4 continue as in previous years, and were addressed by blending with water from other wells which did not contain iron or manganese. Note that at the end of the period in this report, we conducted filter repairs which have resulted in no iron or manganese detected in the treated water.

• “Specific Conductance” in Well 8 exceeded the Secondary Maximum Containment Level (MCL). That water was blended with water from other wells to bring it into compliance.

• The presence of E. coli bacteria in Well 8 on 1/18/2023 and Wells 5 & 7 on 1/20/2023 was reported on January 22, 2023. Read the report. Again, there was no E. coli detected in the treated water

https://www.irishhillswater.org/s/Irish-Hills-2023-CCR.pdf

Fire Hydrant Flushing 2024

We have completed flushing all of the fire hydrants in the Irish Hills Mutual Water Company! All hydrants are in good working order, running clear, free from obstructions and ready for any emergencies. Special thanks to Board members George and Ed who volunteered their time and energy to get this done!

Working on a Well

Early this year the pump failed on Well A, one of the six wells that supply our water for our homes and fire hydrants. Today, May 28, a crew from Farm Supply is on site repairing the well.

Board Member Ed Thoma (right) oversees the work done by the well repair crew

The last time this well needed service was in 2009. The expected lifetime of these parts is about 7 years. The well will receive a new pump, new wiring, a new pipe and a few replacement fittings. Funds for this repair come from the monthly assessment you see on your water bill.

The Irish Hills Mutual Water Company has six active wells, run in rotation as needed to ensure a high quality and consistent water supply. It wasn’t a problem for this well to be offline for the past few months as we waited for the ground to dry enough from the wet winter rains for the crane to operate safely. Wells are routinely brought on and offline for maintenance, inspection, and repairs as needed. Nviro, our subcontractor, does most of this work, although for some larger jobs like this well pump replacement we have specialized crews do the work.

Water from all of our wells is pumped to the top of the hill, treated, then stored in multiple large storage tanks. Gravity feeds the water from the tanks to all of our homes. More information can be found on our about page and in the Welcome Letter.

Fire Hydrant Flushing

Flushing a hydrant on Via Laguna Vista

Over the next few weeks we are preparing to inspect and flush all the fire hydrants in the neighborhoods. We performed one test flush of a hydrant on Via Laguna Vista on April 23 and it is in good working order.

Periodically flushing our hydrants verifies that they are working properly and can be used by CAL FIRE for firefighting. Additionally, flushing our hydrants can help clear accumulated iron and mineral deposits from the water lines, resulting in higher quality water for all of us.

Fire hydrant flushing may cause temporary inconveniences such as a reduction in water pressure and aesthetic issues like discoloration of the water in your home. Discolored water poses no health threat, but it can stain laundry and may taste unpleasant. If you notice discolored water in your plumbing, please flush the cold water side for approximately 5 minutes until the water runs clear again.

If you experience continued loss of pressure or water discoloration even after you’ve flushed your cold water, please contact us at 805-546-1305 or info@irishhillswater.com.

Flushing a hydrant—notice the pale orange color, which may be rust or other sediment in the pipes leading to the hydrant. Hydrant is run approximately one minute, until the water runs clear

What do we check when inspecting and flushing a hydrant?

• Make sure the hydrant is accessible to firefighters. Any bushes or other obstructions?

• Confirm that there is a blue reflector on the street indicating the location of the hydrant

• Inspect hydrant for damage or wear

• Exercise the main to the hydrant. Does it shut on and off correctly?

• Inspect the caps and replace the gaskets, grease the caps for easy removal

• Pressurize the hydrant to make sure the caps are all water-tight

• Run water from the hydrant onto the street for one minute, ensuring that the water comes out clear and strong

Water Usage

We’ve updated the water usage table for 2023 up through the first two months of 2024. View the table on the Water Usage page.

Updated Stickers

Happy New Year everyone! I hope that you all had a safe and comfortable December.

I have created an updated sticker to identify all of the equipment related to the water company so that it’s clear to anyone how to contact us in an emergency (if, for example, a fire hydrant starts leaking). These new stickers also have a reminder to call 811 any time you plan to dig anywhere that has a chance of being near any of our water lines (or any underground lines at all). Here’s the new sticker:

The new IHMWC identification sticker

If you see equipment along our roads that you think is part of our Irish Hills Mutual Water Company infrastructure and doesn’t have one of these labels, please send a photo and location and I’ll check it out. There are some boxes managed by PG&E, So-Cal Gas, cable, etc. that look like ours but aren’t. I haven’t yet put the updated sticker on the wells that are on private property or out in the big field, but will get to those in the next month or so.

Here’re a couple before and after shots:

View fullsize

Before and After photo of the sticker on Well 4’s electric meter

View fullsize

Before and After photo of fire hydrant on Via Laguna Vista (note that the old sticker was no longer even readable)

2022 Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality)

The 2022 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is now available. This annual report on the water quality from our wells was published June 22, 2023 and covers the time from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022.

The enclosed pdf gives all of the information you need to make informed decisions about your water quality. In summary, our water continues to be excellent, although hard. The hardness was given as 383.33ppm (a little softer than the previous year which was 391.7ppm). You may recall that we had an issue with bacteria at two well sites this winter—those were a side-effect of the heavy rains that did not happen until after December 31, and so are not reflected in this report.

The table on the last page calls out two items this year:

• Iron in wells A & B: Just like last year, the iron level in two of our wells exceed what’s called the “secondary maximum containment level (MCL).” This is not a concern, for two reasons: (1) The water from those wells is diluted with water from other wells with lower iron content, so the overall iron levels are well below the MCL and (2) Iron is not a health hazard, it’s just a potential cosmetic problem as it can stain sinks, fixtures and laundry, and may have an unpleasant odor. Since the water from wells A & B is diluted by the other wells, you should not experience any of the unpleasant effects.

• Our Manganese levels in Well 4 exceeded the “Secondary Maximum Containment Level (MCL)”. Like we do with iron, water from wells with Manganese is blended with water from other wells to bring the total down to the recommended levels. NVIRO and the Board are currently evaluating the condition of our manganese filtration system to determine if repair or replacement is needed.

Note that there was no excess of “Specific Conductance and Total Dissolved Solids” as we saw last year.

2022 Consumer Confidence Report (Water Quality)

Higher Manganese Levels in our Water

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER

Este aviso contiene información muy importante sobre su agua potable, por favor lea el aviso en español si va aquí incluido. Si el aviso en español no va incluido aquí, contacte al sistema de agua para pedir una copia.

Irish Hills MWC Has Levels of Manganese

Above the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level and the U.S. EPA Lifetime Health Advisory

Our water system recently violated the Secondary Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). A secondary standard affects the color and taste of the water delivered to customers,   As our customers, you have a right to know what you should do, what happened, and what we are doing to correct this situation.

We routinely monitor for the presence of drinking water contaminants.  Water sample results received on March 31 and May 2 showed manganese levels of 0.15 mg/L and 0.34 mg/L, respectively.  This is above the secondary MCLof 0.05 milligrams per liter (mg/L) and above the U.S. EPA lifetime health advisory (HA) level of 0.3 mg/l.

What should I do?

• Infants younger than 6 months could experience neurological effects from continuous manganese exposures above 0.3 mg/L. The State Water Board strongly recommends the use of an alternate water source when preparing food, specifically baby formulaand juice, for infants.

• For all other consumers, you do not need to use an alternative water supply (e.g., bottled water).

• This is not an emergency.  If it had been, you would have been notified immediately. However, some people who drink water containing manganese in excess of the U.S. EPA lifetime HA level (0.3 mg/L) over many years may experience potential neurological effects.

• If you have other health issues concerning the consumption of this water, you may wish to consult your doctor.

What happened? What is being done?

Manganese levels in Well 4 have increased, likely due to the heavy rains affecting the aquifers. In addition, the manganese treatment unit is not functioning properly and could be introducing manganese into the distribution system. We are going to bypass the treatment unit temporarily and repair it. If it cannot be repaired, we will need to replace it. We anticipate resolving the problem within 1-2 months.

For more information, please contact Dave Chivens at 805-546-1305.

Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).  You can do this by posting this public notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.

Secondary Notification Requirements

Should the water sample results exceed the U.S. EPA HAof 0.3 mg/L [Health and Safety Code Section 116450(e)].

Upon receipt of notification from a person operating a public water system, the following notification must be given within 10 days [Health and Safety Code Section 116450(g)]:

• SCHOOLS: Must notify school employees, students, and parents (if the students are minors).

• RESIDENTIAL RENTAL PROPERTY OWNERS OR MANAGERS (including nursing homes and care facilities):  Must notify tenants.

• BUSINESS PROPERTY OWNERS, MANAGERS, OR OPERATORS:  Must notify employees of businesses located on the property.

This notice is being sent to you by Irish Hills Mutual Water Company.

State Water System Number: 4000203.

Date distributed: May 4, 2023.

Updating Your Contact Info

To better serve you, we need to update the contact information for all members of the Irish Hills Mutual Water Company. Please fill out the form linked below so we can contact you directly when needed.

Contact Info Form →

Drinking Water Warning

During testing on January 18 & 20th, 2023, E. coli bacteria was discovered in wells 5 & 8. These wells were shut down until and disinfected, flushed, and re-sampled. Because our water is continuously treated with chlorine, there is no danger to your home water supply. Testing of the distribution pipes was all negative for E. coli.

Please read the full report for more information.

Latest Water Usage Numbers

Hello! I hope you’re keeping cool during this heat wave. During this time of drought we need to be especially aware of how much water we are using and for what purposes. Although we are outside the limits of the city of San Luis Obispo, it can be useful to see what types of water restrictions the city has enacted. You can read more about that here.

Irish Hills Mutual Water Company water usage numbers have been updated to show usage through September 1, 2022. View Water Usage Tables →

The 2021 Consumer Confidence Report

The 2021 Consumer Confidence Report (CCR) is now available. This annual report on the water quality from our wells was published June 28, 2022.

The enclosed pdf gives all of the information you need to make informed decisions about your water quality. In summary, our water continues to be excellent, although hard. The hardness was given as 391.7ppm.

The table on the last page calls out two items specifically:

• Iron in wells A & B: The iron level in two of our wells exceed what’s called the “secondary maximum containment level (MCL).” This is not a concern, for two reasons: (1) The water from those wells is diluted with water from other wells with lower iron content, so the overall iron levels are well below the MCL and (2) Iron is not a health hazard, it’s just a potential cosmetic problem as it can stain sinks, fixtures and laundry, and may have an unpleasant odor. Since the water from wells A & B is diluted by the other wells, you should not experience any of the unpleasant effects.

• Specific Conductance and Total Dissolved Solids: These were both high enough to require reporting, but there are no health risks associated with them. They are tested for cosmetic reasons. See the pdf for more details.

Download the 2021 Consumer Confidence Report

A New Look for our Website

The website for the Irish Hills Mutual Water Company (IHMWC) has been redesigned to make it more modern, look good in any browser (yes, even on mobile phones!) and be easier to maintain.

If you have any questions about this website or suggestions for improvements, please send a note to webmaster@irishhillswater.com. For inquiries about your water bill, usage, etc., please check our Contact page for how best to reach us.

Who’s updating the website? Hi, I’m Barry Langdon-Lassagne, your new neighbor! I’ve volunteered to update the site and keep all the information current. My partner Ginger and I are in the process of moving back here from the Bay Area after an absence of 35 years and are excited to be part of this wonderful community. We’ve already met some of you and look forward to getting to know all our neighbors.