Water tank must be drained after security breach

Vandals breached a chain link fence and two locks guarding a public water tank in Novato Friday, police confirmed Saturday.

An intruder alarm attached to the North Marin Water District tank in a remote area of northwest Novato went off prior to 6 p.m., alerting officials that something was amiss, Lt. Steve De La O of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office said.

There is no evidence of contamination, but 290,000 gallons of water must be drained from the tank and replaced to ensure public safety, water district officials have said.