City of Antioch issues warning about door-to-door water testing scam
By Jaden Baird, PIO, City of Antioch
ANTIOCH, CA — The City of Antioch is alerting residents to a door-to-door scam in which individuals are falsely claiming that the city’s tap water is unsafe in an attempt to sell high-cost water filtration systems.
In a recent report, a resident was approached by a person claiming to test water quality. The individual presented a false test result alleging the presence of “13 cancer-causing contaminants” and attempted to pressure the resident into purchasing a reverse osmosis system. When the resident declined to provide personal information, the individual became aggressive.
“These individuals are not associated with the City of Antioch, or our Water Department,” said Ivona Kagin, Laboratory Supervisor at the Water Treatment Plant. “Tap water is tightly regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. We want to reassure residents that Antioch’s drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. Details are published in our annual Consumer Confidence Report: https://www.antiochca.gov/583/Water-Treatment. If your water becomes unsafe to drink, the City of Antich will notify you and provide information on how to protect yourself.”
Residents are urged to follow these safety guidelines:
- Do not allow unverified individuals into your home.
- Always ask for official identification.
- Look for a City of Antioch badge and marked city vehicle.
- Call the Water Department at (925) 779-7060 to confirm if someone is a city employee.
- Report aggressive or suspicious activity to the Antioch Police Department.
Kagin emphasized that legitimate city employees will never arrive unannounced. All official visits are scheduled in advance and conducted by trained staff with proper identification.
For more information about Antioch’s water quality or to verify any city-related service visit, please contact the Water Department directly or visit http://www.antiochca.gov/water.
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Water Testing Scam
