Water situation better in Lucerne Valley

The situation for residents of water-parched Lucerne Valley eased somewhat Friday when nine truck haulers were given conditional licenses to deliver water, a spokesman for Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt said.

This is in addition to the five trucks that were authorized to deliver water Thursday, said David Zook, the first district supervisor’s spokesman.

The truck haulers still have to file applications for permanent licenses.

“We have made tremendous progress,’’ said Zook, the state Department of Health and the California Highway Patrol swooped into Lucerne Valley last Friday to shut down the water haulers who keep Lucerne Valley supplied with water. There is no other water system in the valley.

With the haulers that were approved Friday, Zook said the county is confident that everyone who was awaiting water deliveries has received it by now.

Zook said the county will continue to monitor the situation through the weekend, and county fire can deliver bottled water and non-potable water.

“It is important that the community came together and put forth a lot of effort to identify who needed water, and that they got the water they needed,” he said.

The county’s Web site, www.sbcounty.gov has been updated with additional information, including the names of all the companies that can legally haul water, what wells are available and where to go to get water.

For senior citizens, or those without Internet access, the Lucerne Valley branch library has computers available and staff who can help access the information. All the online information has been printed out and is being distributed door-to-door, he said.