Nestled in the foothills on a plateau at the northern tip of Orange County, Brea was known as a place where tar seeped from the hills. The word “Brea” means tar in Spanish. In early history, Indians and pioneers used chunks of the oil-soaked earth for fuel and domestic purposes like heating their homes and waterproofing their roofs. Then came the big oil boom!
In 1894, the Union Oil Company purchased 1,200 acres of land to be used for oil development. They struck it rich in 1898 when the first oil well, Olinda Oil Well #1, came in – thus creating an oil boom in the hills of Brea and Olinda and paving the way for the thriving city that Brea is today.
An actual town did not develop until 1911 when businesses and small industries sprang up to serve the oil field workers and their families. The official founding date for the town of Brea is January 19, 1911, when the old map of the town of Randolph was refiled under a new name. The City of Brea became incorporated on February 23, 1917, with a population of 752. Brea’s oil boom lasted until the 1940s. As oil production declined, the next three decades brought new housing developments and businesses to Brea. The 70s saw big changes with the opening of the Brea Mall. The city grew steadily over the years. As oil production declined, the 40s, 50s, and 60s brought many new housing developments and new businesses. The 70s saw big changes with the opening of the Orange (57) freeway and the construction of the Brea Mall. Industrial parks and retail areas thrived in Brea during the 70s and 80s, as more and more companies took advantage of the city’s strategic location in the center of Southern California.
WHERE DOES BREA CITY WATER COME FROM?
Your drinking water is a blend of surface water imported by the MWDSC, and groundwater imported from Cal Domestic in Whittier. MWDSC’s imported water sources are the Colorado River and the State Water Project, which draws water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Cal Domestic water originates from the Main San Gabriel groundwater basin.
ARE THERE CONTAMINANTS IN BREA CITY WATER?
The sources of drinking water (both tap water and bottled water) include rivers, lakes, streams, ponds, reservoirs, springs and wells. As water travels over the
the surface of the land or through the layers of the ground it dissolves naturally-occurring minerals and, in some cases, radioactive material, and can pick up substances resulting from the presence of animal and human activity.
Contaminants that may be present in source water include:
Pesticides and herbicides, which may come from a variety of sources such as agriculture, urban stormwater runoff, and residential uses.
Microbial contaminants, such as viruses and bacteria, which may come from sewage treatment
plants, septic systems, agricultural livestock operations, and wildlife.
Radioactive contaminants, which can be naturally occurring or be the result of oil and gas production or mining activities.
Inorganic contaminants, such as salts and metals, which can be naturally occurring or result from urban storm runoff, industrial or domestic wastewater discharges, oil and gas production, mining and farming.
Organic chemical contaminants, including synthetic and volatile organic chemicals, which are by-products of industrial processes and petroleum production, and can also come from gasoline stations, urban stormwater runoff, agricultural application and septic systems
SHOULD I DRINK AND BATHE WITH BREA CITY WATER STRAIGHT FROM MY FAUCET?
Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised people, such as those with cancer who are undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have had organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly persons and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers.
The USEPA and the federal Centers for Disease Control guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from USEPA’s Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 426-4791 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern Time (7 a.m. to 1 p.m. in California)- source: 2017Brea consumer confidence report.
http://ca-brea.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/525/Brea-2019-WQR?bidId=
Complete Plumbing recommends installing a Catalytic Carbon Whole house water filtration system by Aqualistic Water Products to remove most of the harmful chemicals in your city water, leaving you with bottled quality water at every faucet in your home.
BREA PLUMBING TIPS
Fix leaky faucets. For every leak stopped, you can save 20 gallons of water per day.
Develop a watering schedule for your irrigation system. To learn more, visit www.bewaterwise.com/calculator.html.
Use native plants in your landscaping. Planting and maintaining beautiful California native and water-friendly plants can save between 1,000 and 1,800 gallons per month.
Install a high efficiency toilet or clothes washer. A temporary rebate program is still available. Other rebates are also available for sprinklers and artificial turf. To learn more, visitwww.ocwatersmart.com.
MWDSC has its own water conservation website. To find out more information on water-saving plants and other useful tips, visit www.bewaterwise.com.source: 2018Whittier consumer confidence report. https://www.ci.brea.ca.us/DocumentCenter/View/525/Brea-2018-WQR?bidId=
BREA RESIDENTS should make sure that their plumbing systems are in good working order and are leak-free. This is important, not only for saving money on your water bill and limiting damages to property, but it is our responsibility to provide clean fresh water for future generations.
DID YOU KNOW?
Water Leaks:
- Nationwide, more than 1 trillion gallons of water are lost annually due to household leaks. That’s equal to the annual water use of more than 11 million homes.
- The average household can waste more than 10,000 gallons each year due to correctable leaks. That’s enough to wash 270 loads of laundry!
- Ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day! Common sources include toilets, faucets, showerheads, and landscape irrigation. But you should also consider less obvious sources of leaks: water heaters, ice makers, dishwashers, and filtration systems. Many of these are easily correctable, and fixing them can save about 10 percent on the average water bill.
- Be sure to check your toilet for leaks at least once a year. Put food coloring in the tank. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. And if your toilet flapper doesn’t close properly after flushing, replace it.
- Remember, one drip a second adds up to five gallons lost per day!
So regularly check your faucets and showerheads, as well as all hoses and connectors. - Many household leaks can be solved with simple tools and a little education — and fortunately, Do-It-Yourselfers have access to multiple resources. But even if you must pay for repairs, you will still save money in the long run. For more information on water conservation, visit ocwatersmart.com.
- Complete plumbing provides leak detection of even the smallest amount of water which could prevent costly water bills and possible damage due to water leaks
- Complete plumbing utilizes automatic water shut off valves that detect leaks, automatically shuts off the water to your home then sends you an alert via a smartphone app. You can turn the water on and off, monitor water usage and temperature right from your phone!
BREA SEWER DRAINAGE SYSTEM
The economic and public health benefits associated with reliable municipal sewer and stormwater programs are numerous. Both systems require careful maintenance and fiscal oversight for sound operation. The City of Brea has provided this since 1925 when parts of the existing sewer system were first built.
As the city has developed over the past 80 plus years, the sewer system has become a self-sustaining enterprise. Given the rise in operational and maintenance costs and the need to repair deficiencies in the sewer system, an adjustment to the existing sewer rates are proposed. Plans also are complete to introduce a comprehensive stormwater management system under a separate self-sustaining program.
For the first time in 19 years, a fee increase was proposed (and approved) in October 2006 to cover rising expenses for providing services and to adequately fund a capital improvement program necessary to replace and rehabilitate some portions of the system. Throughout the state, agencies are challenged with significantly increased costs to meet numerous requirements from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board. Stricter mandates, backed by hefty fines for non-compliance, are prompting smart infrastructure upgrades to assure long-term cost control. Fines for sewer spills can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for each incident.
Brea has been very diligent in upholding high standards for ongoing maintenance practices over these many years. Therefore, the system has been reliable despite infrastructure that is overdue for replacement. The council has determined it is now time to move ahead with key projects recommended in the Sewer Master Plan.
- Most Brea homes have just one main sewer pipe that connects the sewer system from their house to the city’s main sewer system. Homeowners are required to maintain that sewer pipe up to and including the middle of the street and may be responsible for repair costs should a problem occur.
- Complete Plumbing can use a sewer drain camera and location device to inspect sewer lines for breaks, cracks root intrusions. This simple examination of your sewer system may save thousands of dollars in repair costs.
What is Storm Water Pollution?
Stormwater is water from rain that does not soak into the ground. It flows over paved areas like streets, sidewalks, and parking lots, as well as roofs and sloped lawns. As it flows, the stormwater collects and carries pollutants such as litter, pet waste, pesticides, fertilizers, and motor oil. This “toxic soup” then flows through a massive system of pipes and channels directly into our local waterways and the ocean.
What is the difference between the storm drain system and the sanitary sewer system?
The storm drain system and sanitary sewer system are both large conveyance systems of underground pipes. This leads to the misconception that the systems are one and the same. They are in fact separated and serve different purposes.
The sanitary sewer system transports domestic sewage to a treatment plant. Domestic sewage includes wastewater from household and commercial plumbing, such as toilets, showers, and sinks. There, contaminants are removed from the sewage through a multi-stage process, which includes settling, filtering, and biological and chemical treatment. The treated water is then discharged into local waterways or used as reclaimed water.
The storm drain system, on the other hand, was designed to prevent cities from flooding. Its purpose is to quickly transport rain runoff (stormwater) away from the city and into the nearest waterway, without treatment. And so, any pollution carried by stormwater also enters our waterways untreated.
We have been serving Brea Residents for over 30 years and know a lot about Breakwater filtration systems, Brea Plumbing Systems, Brea heating, and air conditioning systems, Brea tankless water heaters Brea drain cleaning.
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