The city of Houston lifted its boiling water notice Sunday afternoon.
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Residents must:
– Let cold water run through the tap for 1 minute to bring clean water into the pipes.
– Pour ice into the ice maker and then make at least three sessions before using the ice.
– Put water softeners through a revival cycle.
– Remove and clean screens on taps.
The boiling water notice was announced on Wednesday after the city’s water pressure dropped below the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s required minimum of £ 20 per square inch. Under this pressure, there is an increased risk of contamination through pipes.
The low pressure was caused by the Arctic weather last week, which caused pipes to burst across the city and equipment at water distribution facilities to break.
To lift the boiling water notice, Houston’s water system had to return to a stable pressure of 35 psi. Then the city had to collect water samples and send them to the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality. These samples underwent at least 24 hours of laboratory testing to determine if bacteria were growing in the system.
“We got everything clear,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a news conference Sunday.
Turner spoke from Butler Stadium where bottled water was distributed. He acknowledged that tens of thousands of people, even with the notice of raised boiling water, still did not have water in their homes.
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“Because so many pipes have burst in our region, people still need water, even though the notice about boiling water has been lifted,” Turner said.
People who start repairing their homes should take rock and other debris to the curb and then switch 3-1-1.
Turner promised that Houstonians would not have to pay exorbitant water bills due to burst pipes. The city will amend the bills.
And if retail electricity suppliers do not amend high electricity bills, which is caused by plans with variable rates, Turner said state lawmakers should take responsibility for the higher bills.
The exchange rate plans may increase or decrease based on the market and ‘the discretion of your electricity company’, according to Power To Choose, a website for electricity shops operated by the Public Utility Commission. With variable plans, customers can benefit from low market prices, but they have an increased risk of higher rates as electricity prices rise due to natural disasters, cold winters or unfavorable market conditions.
“Just as we can do it with the water bills, the state of Texas should take on the same responsibility as it does with these high electricity bills,” Turner said.
And with the trauma caused this week – in addition to the trauma caused by COVID-19 – Turner also called on state lawmakers to make more financial resources available for mental health.