When Jerry Willsey brushed his teeth Saturday morning all he got was a mouth full of toothpaste. His house had no water.

The incident marked the third time that Willsey, who lives with his 92-year-old mother, has gone without H2O at his hillside home in the last two months.

He and about 30 other residents in the northeast corner of Walnut were affected by a combination of increased water usage at adjacent Forest Lawn cemetery and a busted water pump that “created intermittent/interrupted water service at some higher elevation locations,” according to a report from the city of Walnut.

Golden State Water contractors were busy Wednesday installing a new booster pump in the hillside above Stockton Pass Road and hope to have the problem fixed by Friday, said Ben Lewis, district manager of Golden State Water Co.

Lewis confirmed that he met with Forest Lawn supervisors and they agreed to adjust their watering patterns while repairs to the system are being performed. He said Forest Lawn didn’t cause the problem.

Walnut’s report said Golden Sate will consider long-term solutions to pumping water uphill into hillside areas of Walnut, including installing additional pumps.

Read more in Steve Scauzillo’s story WATER.