Nearly 300 homes in Squaw Valley received a warning Friday to boil water for drinking or cooking purposes.

Squaw Valley Mutual Water Company issued the boil notice after drowned squirrels were discovered in the water tank, said Operations Manager Randy Dresselhaus.

They expect to resolve the problem within the week, Dresselhaus said, but in the meantime advise residents of the Squaw Summit and Squaw Valley Estates subdivisions to use boiled tap water or bottled water.

During routine water tests done in conjunction with the California Department of Health Services and Placer County Health Department, district staff noted a bacterial problem in the tank where the dead squirrels were found. The water company is working to find and cover the entry points.

They have already drained, cleaned and chlorinated the water tanks and will conduct the first of two rounds of bacterial tests today before they can recall the boil notice.

“When they get a positive chloroform, they automatically test for E.coli, and those results came out negative,” Dresselhaus said.

Customers with the Squaw Valley Public Service District needn’t worry about their water.

“All the water at the district here does meet the current standards and we’ve completed all our testing. Our water is safe for our customers to drink and use,” said district general manager Rick Lierman.