A 30,000 gallon water reservoir that sits near the “P” hill overlooking Cal Poly was shutdown Thursday after Cal Poly maintenance workers discovered a dead rat and mouse in the tank that supplies water to the Cal Poly campus. The tanks were inspected after Wednesday’s on-campus power outage that caused the water pumps on campus to lose pressure.
Dave Ragsdale, Cal Poly’s environmental health and safety manager, said as the earth settles around the tanks, it creates gaps that open on the tank’s exterior. This process is what allowed the rat and mouse to find their way inside. Ragsdale admitted he was not sure of how long the rodents had been there.
“We don’t know for sure, but they didn’t look like they’d been there a long time,” Ragsdale said. “This case is easily isolated and it will be put under a 24 hour disinfectant period.”
Ragsdale said that the domestic water from the tank was not a public health hazard, due to the amount of chlorine in the water. Maintenance workers spent Thursday afternoon draining the tank and pumping in new water and chlorine. The tank will be back in service on Friday.
On-campus residents received an e-mail Thursday morning from University Housing telling residents that they may be effected by the campus-wide low water pressure.
The e-mail did not give a reason for the drop in water pressure, and did not indicate if it was related to the issue at the reservoir.
Xavier Burba, agricultural business junior and Cerro Vista Apartment resident noticed the drop in pressure. “Two days ago I noticed it,” Burba. “Yesterday morning it took a little longer to rinse the shampoo out of my hair.”
Jillian Rice, a history freshman, said that water in Trinity Hall smelled of chlorine more than usual.
Ragsdale did not know how often Cal Poly maintenance workers inspected the tanks but said he will recommend monthly inspections to Cal Poly facility services.
In 2005, a dead lizard was found in the half-million-gallon tank near the “P” and the campus water supply was shut off after Cal Poly officials were debriefed.