April 30, 2025 10:37 pm. This story was updated with an interview with A'Kesh Eidi and Supervisor Ted Williams
A water quality alert issued late Tuesday sparked confusion and concern in the coastal village of Mendocino on Wednesday, prompting clarifications from county officials who emphasized there is no public health emergency and questions about why the alert was issued at all.
The alert, issued by the State Water Resources Control Board and the County of Mendocino, recommended that all residents and businesses west of Highway 1 boil their water as a precaution. It also cited three specific businesses and noted that public health staff would be available Wednesday at Harvest Market at Mendosa’s on Lansing Street to provide information and water testing kits.
"The press release that went out was to notify the community that three locations had been issued a boil water notice," said A’Kesh Eidi, program administrator with the county health department overseeing community wellness. "There has been no boil water order issued for the town of Mendocino writ large." Eidi was not able to provide details why the “boil water” notices were issued.
Eidi added that the alert was intended to encourage residents concerned about their private well water to get it tested. The county provided tests, which could be processed by a recommended testing facility Alpha Analytical Laboratories Inc. for a fee ranging from $60 to $95.
By Wednesday afternoon, the county issued a second alert clarifying that the state’s boil water notice applied only to three restaurants. All three establishments were already part of a regular testing program required for local businesses that rely on well water.
According to the Mendocino County Public Health Department, food facilities should close during a boil water advisory (AHA) unless there is a plan to provide safe water during the operation.
According to the two of the three establishments, their “tap water,” or their treated well water, has not recently tested positive for bacteria, though there have been false positives in the past. Nevertheless, the restaurants were forced to buy water to remain open.
Fifth District Supervisor Ted Williams said the situation reflects the ongoing challenges of water safety given the village of Mendocino’s history and unique geology.
“Mendocino gets most of its water from fairly shallow sources, which the state classifies as surface water, and that requires treatment,” Williams said. “You have inns and restaurants that have been trying to do everything right, doing regular testing and having compliance systems. [However] it not surprising that some of these water sources may need additional filtration under today’s drinking water standards.”
Note: KZYX News has not identified the restaurants because interviews with county employees and with the restaurants indicated that the tap water they were serving customer was safe to drink. The State Water Resources Control Board was not available for comment about why these businesses were cited by our deadline.
See the original advisory below.
