As leaders in Fountain Hills take steps to protect the public from the spread of the coronavirus, we want to also assure our customers that public health is our first and highest priority.

If you are an EPCOR customer, you can rest assured that your water is safe and reliable, and it will continue to be delivered to homes and businesses without interruption.

We have increased our already-stringent water quality and safety protocols. We test systems daily, adhering to strict federal and local guidelines, including monitoring water quality at various stages – from wells and water mains to treatment plants and the tap itself. Our testing looks for microorganisms, such as bacteria and viruses, as well as organic and inorganic contaminants and chemicals.

It’s important to note that our nation’s top public health experts continue to carefully examine and closely monitor the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not detected the COVID-19 virus in drinking water and has determined that existing and proven water treatment methods, such as filtration and disinfection, remove or inactivate viruses.

We were pleased to see Fountain Hills join other communities and make the decision to close public access to Town Hall along with other measures. We agree the safety of the community remains our collective priority.

At EPCOR, we also enacted emergency protocols weeks ago when the virus was just beginning to spread. This preparation gave us a head start to ensure the safety of our customers and employees. We’ve taken the following steps: the temporary closure of our in-person customer service locations, suspending in-person payments and putting in place social distancing protocols.

We can still dispatch field representatives to make service calls, but we are advising our teams to maintain a minimum distance of 6 feet from individuals who may be at the property, which is in line with the CDC’s guidance on to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.

It’s important that we safeguard our team – and you – by limiting exposure to the coronavirus. These precautionary measures will help ensure we can continue to keep essential water services in place, especially in a time like this when they are more critical than ever.

We also want to stress that your water will continue to flow, regardless of your ability to pay, so we are suspending disconnections and restoring water service to customers who may have been previously disconnected.

We understand that some customers will be impacted financially, but your health is our top priority. And we want to be sure you have access to clean water to maintain good hygiene and follow the CDC’s recommendations to help prevent the spread of the virus.

We’ve seen public health experts time and again stress that “washing your hands” is the most important thing you can do to reduce the impact of the coronavirus. This only emphasizes water’s essential role in ensuring public health.

Frank Metzler is Director of Operations for EPCOR’s Eastern Arizona division, which includes the communities of Fountain Hills and Rio Verde.