Colfax mobile home park has been without power for days, and now is losing running water

By Brittany Hope

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    COLFAX, California (KCRA) — Thousands of customers in Placer County have been without power since early Monday morning, due to damaged equipment and downed power lines from the recent winter storm.

Pacific Gas and Electric Company does not have an estimate as to when power will be restored.

While many are living in freezing temperatures without electricity, hundreds near Colfax are also losing running water.

Residents living at the Shady Glen Mobile Home Park in Placer County called KCRA 3 Thursday afternoon after on-site staff alerted them to incoming water shortages.

The Placer County Water Agency said a canal damaged by the winter storm is to blame for a delay in water delivery.

In a statement to KCRA 3, Placer County’s Director of Emergency Services said the following:

“The breach in Placer County Water Agency’s Boardman Canal and the continuing power outage in the foothills have combined for a uniquely challenging situation for the Shady Glen Community Water System, which has our full attention. We echo the request of the water agency for customers to conserve water while we work with them to get the system back online. We’re actively exploring a range of temporary solutions, including trucking in water, and we’ll do everything within our power to ensure the water doesn’t run out before power is restored.”

Thursday afternoon, new pipes were installed across the breached section of the canal.

Officials plan to test those pipes on Saturday and begin water delivery as soon as possible.

“It’s a mess up here,” Shady Glen resident Don Degaugh told KCRA 3, citing downed power lines and trees near the mobile home complex.

“We don’t have power,” Dave Silvy said. “You know what else we don’t have? We don’t have fresh water.”

Residents told KCRA 3 they were instructed to boil snow in order to get clean water.

The problem?

Most homes in the 55 and older, mostly low-income community, do not have generators. That means they have no power to boil down the snow.

“We have a lot that don’t have family to go to in the park,” resident Jayme Matlock said. “It just worries us because it’s just too cold to not have heat.”

There are more than 100 homes in the park.

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