Missing Man Prompts El Dorado County Water Emergency

EL DORADO HILLS (CBS13) — Emergency water restrictions were put into place after officials say they received reports of a man entering a pipe.

Search and rescue crews have also been called in to help find the man reported missing around 4 p.m. on Monday.

"This is the first time this has every happened and it was built in the 50s," said Jesse Saich, spokesman for EID.

The pipe the man reportedly fell into is around 48 inches in diameter and spans about a mile and a half. It's the EID's Camino Conduit pipe that carries water from jenkinson Lake to a water treatment plant.

"Extraordinarily scary and our hearts go out to this man and his family and we hope that we can retrieve this man," said Saich.

AUDIO: Robocall Announcing Water Emergency

The search for the man has curtailed some of the water delivery in the El Dorado Irrigation District, prompting calls for users to cut back on non-essential water use, such as dishwashing and laundry.

"That plant potentially could serve folks all the way from college planes where they're at all the way down to El Dorado Hills," Saich said.

There are no contamination issues related to the search, since the pipe is a raw pipe that feeds into the treatment plant for the water to be processed.

Investigators say the man entered through a vent on top of the pipe. He has not been located and it's unclear if he's still alive.

Sac Metro Fire crews are aiding the search.