Special Notice for Building Owners and Managers: Reopening After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation Which Have Been Shut Down Due to COVID-19 Concerns

As we look toward the future of re-opening our businesses and buildings, PCWA believes it is of utmost importance to inform owners and managers of buildings which have been closed for weeks or months, due to COVID-19, of the best practices to help ensure the health and safety of the occupants of your buildings. While PCWA continually tests the quality of our water throughout our distribution system, there is no way (aside from outreach and education) to ensure that the quality is maintained beyond your water meter due to the complexities and unknowns under your ownership. The plans and tips contained in the guide from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/php/building-water-system.html are very good for general management of your building’s water system, and even more so now that these buildings have been on forced closure for prolonged periods. In short, keeping the water throughout your building fresh, on at least a weekly basis, will go a long way toward reducing water quality concerns associated with prolonged building closures. At a minimum, prior to reopening, every part of your building’s water system needs to be flushed until you are sure every part of the system is receiving fresh water from the main.

For more information, please use the link above to find the CDC guide “Guidance for Reopening Buildings After Prolonged Shutdown or Reduced Operation”