Manteca’s municipal leaders don’t want to make a deadly mistake.

That’s why they are preparing for the heat wave expected to start Friday even as forecasts bounce back and forth about how hot it will get.

Accuweather is expecting Manteca to reach 111 degrees on Saturday with Friday and Sunday both hitting 103 degrees. The National Weather Service is calling for a cooler 102 degrees on Saturday with a high of 101 degrees Friday and 92 degrees Sunday.

“We’re going to keep monitoring it closely.”  City Manager Karen McLaughlin said of the actual weather and the forecast.

Just in case, McLaughlin noted the Manteca Senior Center, 295 Cherry Lane, will serve as the official cooling center during the normal hours of 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to midnight on Saturday. McLaughlin noted staff is on site Saturday due to social events taking place. And while those that may need a respite from the heat can’t attend the event unless they are involved, there are additional rooms available for the public’s use at the senior center to escape the heat.

“It (the cooling center) is for people of all ages,” McLaughlin noted.

Public Works Director Mark Houghton said the surface water feed from Woodward Reservoir will be restored Friday by crews working on the new Highway 99 and Lathrop Road interchange. Manteca has been relying entirely on well water since May 28 when the pipeline was shut off to allow for it to be relocated.

Even though water supplies will be normal this weekend, Houghton reminds people, “we don’t have a lot of water to waste.”

“We ask that people use water prudently,” Houghton said, noting California is now in its second dry year as well as being in a hot spell.

San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Control District officials remind residents that 100 plus degree days typically means stagnant air that can lower the quality of the air.

State power managers also are asking people to watch electricity consumption as much as possible since the heat is expected to tax the power system due to more air conditioning usage.