Texans warned to boil and save water as power outages continue

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First Texans lost their power. Now they are losing their drinking water.

After several days of icy temperatures and Texan rain showers dripping to burst frozen pipes, cities in the state warned residents Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low and that it is unsafe to drink. They are asking Texans to boil tap water for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth and making ice – as residents struggle to maintain power and heat as an unprecedented winter storm sweeps across the state. Activities such as showering and laundry are safe, but in cities that boil under water, people are asked to save water if at all possible.

About 420 public water systems in 120 counties in Texas reported a service outage as of Wednesday afternoon, affecting more than 8 million people.

“The water pressure is very low. Please do not let water run to burst pipes, ”said Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston. tweeted Wednesday morning. ‘Turn off water if pipes burst. Contact us if you do not know how to turn off water. Be conservative today with the use of water. It is necessary for hospitals and fires. ”

Austin Mayor Steve Adler acknowledged Wednesday afternoon that dripping tap was the right direction earlier this week, but it is now in the interest of people to ‘shift gears and save water’. The city is also calling for volunteers who can help transport people from their homes to heating centers.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Toby Baker, executive director of TCEQ, said that water quality issues are related to the lack of electricity, frozen and broken water lines, and that people are tapping faucets in such a way as to cause water’s lower pressure. Baker also said it will be tested to show that the water is safe before cooking notices can be lifted. There are only 135 laboratories in the state that take the sample, he said, which means the cooking notice can linger.

“It’s not clear when the water supply will be replenished, but energy restrictions often have an impact on the water system because the water system needs energy for treatment and pumping,” said Michael Webber, a professor of energy resources at the University of Texas. in Austin, said.

But because the ice temperature is expected to continue throughout the week, burst pipes could still be a risk, Webber said.

“The fact that the temperature will drop below freezing again carries the risk that water could freeze in pipes which could block the flow of water or damage the pipes,” Webber said.

The loss of drinking water is a devastating blow to Texans who are still suffering from power losses in icy temperatures.

Madie Leon Riley, a resident of Pflugerville who has been without water since Monday morning, said she did not know when her tap would be able to turn on again – or when her toilet could flush without melting the highest snow in it until the water flow stopped. passage. Her mother and husband, who currently live with her, also boil snow as supplemental drinking water.

“There are no grocery stores open in our area, so there is no chance of re-stocking, even if you are one of the few with a car that can reach the miles to get water,” said Riley, a 27- year-old author said. , told The Texas Tribune.

One Fort Worth resident reported a small stream of “pencil-width” water to their home. A woman in the Houston area who lives near the medical center got water about an hour back yesterday, but said it was brown and undrinkable. A San Antonio resident said they froze water even after running taps.

On Tuesday, more than 200,000 residents of north Fort Worth, as well as people in Keller, Southlake, Roanoke and other nearby communities said to boil their water as power outages affect water treatment plants, Dallas Morning News reports.

On the same day, several Houston municipalities, including the Pearland, Katy and Greatwood Sugarland areas, also issued the same orders to their customers, the Houston Chronicle reported.

By Wednesday, the Austin residents had encouraged residents in the south of the city to boil water before drinking it, but insisted that “no pollution in the water we provide is detected”.

‘#AustinWater ask customers in the southwest #Austin and the Lost Creek area to boil their water before using it for drinking or boiling, until further notice, ”Austin Water tweeted. “This boiling water notice is currently in specific areas and is a precautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of our customers.”

The city of Arlington has also issued a notice asking residents to boil water before consuming it. Corpus Christi did the same.

For now, it is unclear when cities will be able to raise their kettle notices. While some parts of Austin issued notices as a precaution, other cities, such as San Angelo, went days without safe drinking water after city officials found industrial chemicals contaminated the water system.