More than 60 homes in the Cuesta Park neighborhood have been without potable water since Friday after a breach in a water main during a city water project.
While water service has been restored, residents still cannot drink or use it for basic household needs.
On Monday night, the city of Mountain View declared on social media, "a State of Emergency for the Cuesta Park area water main incident."
Officials said the declaration will allow the Mountain View "to seek reimbursement from the state and federal government for expenses related to this incident, to the extent allowed by law."
Video in the media player above is from a previous update
Residents along Leona Lane, Montalto and Drucilla drives, and Carla Court said the prolonged disruption has been more difficult than expected.
"1 or 2 days is okay. 4 or 5 days gets very difficult. Two weeks, I can't imagine. You don't realize how often you use water - even a little bit," Norm Kitching said.
RELATED: Mountain View residents impacted by water main issue won't have tap water for days, city says
The contamination affects 66 homes, leaving residents unable to do laundry, shower, wash dishes or even wash their hands with tap water.
City officials said the problem began Friday when an independent contractor hired by Mountain View attempted to fill an abandoned water line with a cement slurry mix as part of a water main project.
The line was not completely isolated from the active water system, allowing the slurry material to enter the neighborhood's water supply.
Mike Vasquez, with the city of Mountain View, said officials are working closely with state regulators to address the issue.
"We've worked with the State Water Resources Control Board to come up with a process to remediate the issue within the affected area. And, that involves flushing and water quality monitoring on a continuous basis, as well as water quality sampling to go to laboratories," Vasquez said.
Previous water tests showed signs of coliform bacteria, which can cause illness if ingested.
City officials said once lab results show the water is clear, the city and each affected home will need to flush their systems to remove any remaining contaminants.
City spokesperson Lenka Wright said Mountain View will reimburse residents for water used during the flushing process and is providing bottled water, hand sanitizer and other accommodations while the advisory remains in effect.
"The number one priority is the safety of the water for our residents," Wright said.
The State Water Resources Control Board will make the final decision on when the water is safe to use.
City officials said that determination may not come until the middle to end of this week.
Residents said extending the timeline further would deepen the strain on the neighborhood.
"If the deadline is not Thursday or Friday this week, how tough is it going to be on the neighborhood?" ABC7 Reporter Dustin Dorsey asked.
"It's going to be extremely difficult. Everyone can do it for a day or two without water. Right? You get some bottled water. You can't get through kind of camping in your house. After several days, it's just getting progressively more difficult. I can't imagine what's going to happen if it's more than a week," Kitching said.
Until the advisory is lifted, residents say they are trying to adapt to a waterless routine, waiting for word on when their taps will again be safe to use.