The Virgin Valley Water District has and will continue to provide the citizens and visitors of the Mesquite/Bunkerville area with a reliable and safe supply of water, during the COVID-19 outbreak. The District hopes that none of the families and their friends in the Virgin Valley area contract the virus.

 

COVID19 Virus and Public Water Supply Frequently Asked Questions

 

Can the Virgin Valley Water District (VVWD) continue providing water if COVID19 causes wide-spread community illness?

Yes. VVWD’s water treatment and delivery system is capable of treating and delivering up to 12,000,000 million gallons of drinking water per day. The water distribution system includes more than 160 miles of pipelines and numerous reservoirs, pumping stations, and wells that can provide water to Mesquite and Bunkerville under any number of emergency situations and scenarios. VVWD’s emergency response and readiness plans are in place and include provisions for providing water during emergency conditions that includes community-wide illness.

 

Should I stockpile bottled water as a result of COVID19?

VVWD is prepared to provide water for the community under any number of emergency situations, including an outbreak of COVID19. While stockpiling large amounts of bottled water is not necessary, local residents may implement their own individual readiness and preparedness plans for emergency situations as they deem appropriate. Our community’s drinking water supplies meet or surpass federal Safe Drinking Water Act standards. Even under extreme circumstances, provisions are in place to make water available from groundwater wells and/or through other operational strategies.

 

Are there any risks of COVID19 being transmitted through drinking water supplies?

According to health officials, COVID19 is primarily transmitted person-to-person – there is no indication that transmission can occur via drinking water supplies. VVWD’s drinking water is treated using chlorination. Chlorination, which is used throughout VVWD’s water distribution systems, is extremely effective at destroying virus and microorganisms during the water treatment process and maintaining disinfection throughout the water system.

 

What steps is VVWD taking to ensure COVID19 does not interrupt water system operations?

VVWD maintains emergency response and readiness plans to help maintain water system operations during natural disasters, community-wide illness, and other emergency situations. Provisions are also in place to ensure appropriate water treatment supplies and resources are available to sustain water delivery for an extended period of time, even if supply chains are temporarily disrupted during an emergency.

If an outbreak does occur in the Valley, the District is prepared to maintain operations by:

 

  • Maintaining a chlorine residual in the distribution system that kills any virus.
  • Ensuring the payment office is cleaned and disinfected multiple times during work hours.
  • Ensuring staff maintain good hygiene practices as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control.
  • Operating a walk up payment window for onsite payment transactions to minimize face to face contact.
  • Capability to operate the water system remotely if an area wide quarantine is put into place.
  • Ensuring our chemical and supply deliveries are available so operations won’t be disrupted.

 

These protocols will help ensure our customers can depend on a safe, sufficient water supply during the difficult times we find ourselves in. The following list of Frequently Asked Questions may be helpful.