Sonoma State University declares tap water safe to drink after two-day hiatus

Sonoma State University announced Wednesday afternoon that tap water on the Rohnert Park campus again is safe to drink, after advising students Monday and Tuesday not to drink it without boiling it.

“State water officials have given the university clearance to cancel the Boil Water notice that has been in effect since Monday,” according to a campus notification sent by university officials. “The water on campus is safe to consume.”

Water fountains had to be inspected before they could be used, a process the university said could take up to 24 hours, and students were instructed not to drink from fountains that still had water advisory notices on them.

On Monday morning, college officials issued the first warning to more than 11,000 students, faculty and staff not to drink or cook with tap water unless boiled first. The warning was triggered by potential sediment contamination from campus wells after a loss in water pressure caused well levels to fall.

University spokesman Paul Gullixson said the university was required by state water officials to undergo two rounds of water-quality testing, which took place Monday and Tuesday, before they could lift the advisory.

“What we understand is there’s no issue about the quality of the water and we’re happy about that,” Gullixson said. “In fact, there’s no evidence there was ever an issue with the quality of the water, but we had to go through this process.”

The warnings not to drink the water were issued more than 24 hours after the university first reported a loss of water pressure to the State Water Resources Control Board, according to emails obtained from the board by The Press Democrat. The board responded to the university Monday morning, informing a staff member that campus officials were required to notify students the water was not safe to drink.

Gullixson said Wednesday that the university took more than a day to respond because it was unaware that a loss in water pressure could lead to water contamination.

“We knew about the mechanical problem, but we weren’t aware that there was a concern about the water quality, and we certainly didn’t know that we had to do the water notice,” he said.

You can reach Staff Writer Andrew Beale at 707-521-5205 or andrew.beale@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @iambeale.