The city of Houston raised its boiling water warning on Sunday afternoon.
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Residents need to:
– Run cold water on the tap for 1 minute to bring clean water to the pipes.
– Pour the ice into the ice maker and make at least three batches before using the ice.
– Place household water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
–Remove and clean the tap screens.
The boiling water warning was announced on Wednesday after the city’s water pressure dropped below the minimum required by the Texas Environmental Quality Commission of 20 pounds per square inch. Below that pressure, there is a greater risk that contaminants may invade the pipes.
The low pressure was caused by last week’s arctic climate, which caused pipes to explode across the city and equipment failures at water distribution facilities.
To raise the boiling water warning, the Houston water system had to return to a stable pressure of 35 psi. The city then had to collect water samples and send them to the Texas Environmental Quality Commission. These samples were subjected to at least 24 hours of laboratory tests to determine whether the bacteria was growing in the system.
“Everything went well,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a news conference on Sunday.
Turner was talking about Butler Stadium, where bottled water was being distributed. He acknowledged that, despite the raised boiling water warning, tens of thousands of people still do not have water in their homes.
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“As many pipes have burst in our region, although the boiling water warning has been canceled, people still need water,” said Turner.
People who are starting to repair their homes should take rock slabs and other debris to the curb and call 3-1-1.
Turner promised that Houstonians would not have to pay exorbitant water bills due to the overflow of pipes. The city will change these accounts.
And if retail electricity providers don’t correct the high electricity bills, caused by variable rate plans, Turner said state lawmakers should take responsibility for those higher bills.
Variable rate plans can go up or down based on the market and “at the discretion of your utility company,” according to Power To Choose, an electricity purchasing website operated by the Public Utility Commission. With variable plans, customers can benefit from low market prices, but are at greater risk of higher rates if electricity prices rise due to natural disasters, cold winters or adverse market conditions.
“Just as we can do this when it comes to water bills, the state of Texas must take the same responsibility when it comes to those high electricity bills,” said Turner.
And with the trauma this week – in addition to the trauma caused by COVID-19 – Turner also asked state lawmakers to make more financial resources available for mental health.