Mountain View, CA
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FAQs
Miscellaneous
Graffiti should be reported to the City's Graffiti Abatement Hotline at (650) 903-6767.
For graffiti on freeway on/off ramps, call CalTrans at (408) 436-0930.
Abandoned shopping carts located on public property should be reported to the City's Shopping Cart Abatement Hotline at (650) 903-6767. Please include location of cart and nearest cross street in your message.
Power outages should be reported directly to PG & E at (800) 743-5000.
Streets
Report street light outages to Public Services at (650) 903-6329.
Traffic signal outages should be reported to Public Works at (650) 903-6311. Signals along Central Expressway are the responsibility of Santa Clara County and signals along El Camino Real and freeway off-ramps are the responsibility of Caltrans.
Santa Clara County
(408) 494-2700Caltrans
(415) 330-6500
(510) 286-6918 (After Hours)The City's street sweeper cannot sweep the street while it rains. The City will sweep your street on your next scheduled day.
The City collects leaves that have fallen onto City streets. For the City's street sweeper to be able to pick up leaves, the leaves must be in piles no more than 3 feet wide and 3 inches deep; the street sweeper cannot pick up sticks, branches, or palm leaves.
Leaves that have fallen onto private property must be collected by the property owner and recycled in a yard trimmings cart. Carts are available in 64- and 96- gallon sizes from Recology. To arrange for a special collection or order a cart, call Recology at (650) 967-3034. Visit Yard Trimmings page for more information.
Sandbags are located at the City's Municipal Operations Center at 231 N. Whisman Road.
For additional sandbag locations, visit the Valley Water website. Sandbags are generally available after November 1.
For more information, call Public Services at (650) 903-6329.
Utility Billing
To open a utility account with the City of Mountain View, contact the City's Finance and Administrative Services Department at (650) 903-6317.
Wastewater
The City of Mountain View's wastewater is treated at the Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant. The plant is owned and operated by the City of Palo Alto for the town of Los Altos, Mountain View and Palo Alto.
If you encounter any sewer related problems or observe sewage running into the street or drainage facilities, call Public Services immediately at (650) 903-6329.
A backup typically occurs in a home's plumbing system or the lateral (the pipe connecting your home's plumbing system with the City's sewer main). Most minor back-ups in drains or toilets may be remedied with drain cleaner or a plunger. If you are unable to clear the line on your own, call a plumber. If the plumber determines the problem is not in your line, call Public Services at (650) 903-6329.
A City sewer main back-up is much less common and occurs when water or materials come up through a drain, toilet, or other fixture when a home's plumbing system is not being used. This event may indicate that the City's sewer main is blocked and wastewater is backing up into your lateral line and home, and you should immediately call Public Services at (650) 903-6329. If you call the City for assistance with a sewer problem, try to have all vehicles moved from in front of your home to ensure the crew has access to the sewer line.
City crews will clean blockages located in the City's sewer mains. Property owners are responsible for clearing any blockages in the home's plumbing system and the lateral pipeline that connects to the City's sewer main. If the lateral has a property line cleanout, the City as a courtesy will clean the lateral from the property line cleanout to the sewer main. The property owner is responsible for damage resulting from an improperly constructed lateral, including lack of required backflow prevention devices (valves on your home plumbing system that prevent water from flowing into your home from the sewer system) or illegal hookups.
Water
The State's Office of Emergency Services recommends a minimum of one gallon per person per day for at least three days be stored for emergency purposes.
The City of Mountain View's water system delivers water at an average minimum pressure of 45 pounds. This exceeds the California Department of Health Services requirement that a public water system provide more than 25 pounds of pressure.
First, turn off all the water on the property. Check your water meter (usually located near the street) and see if the small triangle or asterisk on the face of the dial is moving. If it is, you have a leak. You may be able to isolate the leak by turning off the house valve and checking to see if the meter dial has stopped moving. Leaks should be fixed as soon as possible to avoid excessive water charges.
For further assistance Monday - Friday between 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. call Public Services at (650) 903-6329. For assistance on weekends and after-hours, call (650) 903-6395.
The City of Mountain View distributes over 4.2 billion gallons of fluoridated water annually to its customers. Approximately 87% of the City's water is treated surface water imported from the Sierra Nevada Mountains and purchased from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission's Hetch Hetchy system. The remaining water is purchased from the Santa Clara Valley Water District, and a small amount of the City's water is pumped from a deep aquifer through the City's water wells.
To open an account and have your water turned on, call the City's Finance and Administrative Services Department at (650) 903-6317.
If you already have an active account in good financial standing, and you have no water, call Public Services at (650) 903-6329.
You may store Mountain View tap water in clean containers for up to 6 months. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website contains more information on how to safely store water in advance of an emergency.
Water Quality
Yes. Water distributed by the City of Mountain View to its residents meets all U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) and California Department of Public Health (CDPH) standards.
Tiny air bubbles can cause cloudy water. The City often pumps water and this can introduce air into the system and create bubbles. The cloudy appearance will dissipate if allowed to stand for a few minutes.
The most common reason for discolored water is household plumbing. When water is not circulated regularly (such as in a guest bathroom), it can pick up color from galvanized or copper pipes. A rusting water heater can also discolor water.
Water pipes can also accumulate small amounts of sediment over time. When the sediment is stirred up by water flowing through the pipe, you may experience cloudiness or discoloration of your water. The City routinely flushes its water system to remove sediment and this maintenance work can cause temporary discoloration of the water. In most cases, letting the water run five to ten minutes should clear the discoloration. If the water does not clear, call Public Services at (650) 903-6329.
Water delivered to Mountain View from the SFPUC is fluoridated, and Mountain View fluoridates the water which is delivered from the SCVWD and pumped from local groundwater wells. The concentration of fluoride in Mountain View’s water meets all water quality regulations and is within the range prescribed by the California Department of Public Health for preventing tooth decay.
Water hardness is a measure of dissolved minerals (usually calcium and magnesium) in water. Hardness results mostly from water coming into contact with soil and rock formations. Hard water is not a health hazard.
Mountain View’s water is characterized as soft to moderately hard, generally making water softeners unnecessary. Hardness is measured in milligrams of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) per liter. 17.1 mg/L of CaCO3 is equal to one grain per gallon of hardness. View the tables and map below for more information.
Water Hardness Scale
mg/L Grains Classification Less than 17.1 Less than 1.0 Soft 17.1 - 60 1.0 - 3.5 Slightly Hard 60 - 120 3.5 - 7.0 Moderately Hard 120 - 180 7.0 - 10.5 Hard Over 180 Over 10.5 Very Hard 2023 Sampling Results
Mountain View Water Sources mg/L Grains SFPUC (Zones 1 & 2) 10-30 0.5 - 1.7 SCVWD (Zone 3) 75-120 4.3 - 7.0 If you cannot find answers to your questions here, visit Ask Mountain View to submit an inquiry or request.
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