City of San Diego warns people about unauthorized ‘water quality’ notices from private companies

Residents are encouraged to exercise caution and protect personal information

SAN DIEGO – In response to recent reports of City of San Diego residents receiving a “water update” notice at their homes, the city is warning people to be aware. The notices, which include a request to “Please call us ASAP,” appear to be from a private company that has no association with the City of San Diego and is not authorized to perform any work on behalf of the city. Residents contacted by the company are urged not to agree to services and not to provide personal information.

The city’s Public Utilities Department continually tests water quality, and our water meets or exceeds all state and federal water quality regulations. Detailed information about our water quality is available on the City’s Water Quality webpage at https://www.sandiego.gov/public-utilities/water-quality.

“We want to encourage our customers to be vigilant and verify the information that is sent to their homes,” said Juan Guerreiro, Director of the Public Utilities Department. “Our teams are committed to customer safety and delivering clean water to homes and businesses across San Diego. City staff will always identify themselves right away; please contact Public Utilities if you have any concerns about a notice left at your home.”

Recently, customers of the city’s Public Utilities Department in ZIP code 92154 reported receiving notices that could be misleading. Similar notices have been reported in other cities and regions around the country.

The City of San Diego will not request access to your home to test water quality. Any notification from the city regarding water quality would include a city logo and be delivered by city personnel with proper identification. City personnel are always willing to show proper identification and provide a supervisor’s phone number for verification.

Residents should check any phone number provided to ensure that it is legitimate. Anyone claiming to be a city employee who refuses to wait while the phone number is contacted for verification should be considered fraud. Report any suspicious personnel to the San Diego Police Department at its 24-hour non-emergency line at 619-531-2000 or Public Utilities Department’s emergency hotline at 619-515-3525 as soon as possible.

Public Utilities Department customers can also contact the city’s Water Quality hotline at 619-668-3232 or email [email protected] during business hours.

(City of San Diego Release)