Texans warned to boil and conserve water while power cuts persist

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The first Texans lost power. Now, they are losing their drinking water.

After enduring several days of freezing temperatures and Texans dripping taps to prevent the overflow of frozen pipes, cities across the state warned residents on Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low and may not be safe to drink. They are asking Texans to boil tap water to drink, cook, brush their teeth and make ice – as residents have been struggling to maintain energy and heat as an unprecedented winter storm hits the entire state. Activities such as bathing and washing are safe, but cities under boiling warnings are asking people to save water, if possible.

Approximately 420 public water systems in 120 Texas counties have reported service interruptions, affecting more than 8 million people, according to a spokesman for the Texas Environmental Quality Commission on Wednesday afternoon.

“The water pressure is very low. Please don’t let the water run to prevent the pipes from bursting, ”Mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner tweeted Wednesday morning. “Shut off the water if the pipes burst. Contact us if you don’t know how to turn off the water. Be conservative in your water usage today. It is necessary for hospitals and fires. “

Austin Mayor Steve Adler on Wednesday afternoon acknowledged that dripping taps were the right direction earlier this week, but it is now in people’s interest to “change gears and save water”. The city is also calling for volunteers who can help transport people from their homes to heating centers.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Toby Baker, executive director of TCEQ, said that water quality problems were related to a lack of electricity, frozen and broken water lines and people dripping from the taps that were causing more pressure. low water. Baker also said that tests will be needed to demonstrate that the water is safe before boiling warnings can be raised. There are only 135 laboratories in the state that do this sampling, he said, meaning that boil warnings can take a while.

“It is unclear when the water supply will be replenished, but energy constraints generally impact the water system because the water system requires energy for treatment and pumping,” said Michael Webber, professor of energy resources at the University of Texas in Austin.

But as freezing temperatures are expected to persist throughout the week, pipe rupture can still be a risk, Webber said.

“Temperatures drop below zero again introducing the risk that water will freeze in the pipes, which can block the flow of water or damage the pipes,” said Webber.

The loss of drinking water is a devastating blow for Texans, who still suffer from energy losses due to low temperatures.

Madie Leon Riley, a resident of Pflugerville who has been without water since Monday morning, said she does not know when her tap will be able to turn on again – or when her bathroom will be able to open without melting the top snow to keep the water flowing. in motion. Her mother and husband, who currently live with her, are also boiling snow as drinking drinking water.

“There are no grocery stores open in our area, so there is no chance of refueling, even if you are one of the few with a car that can travel the miles it would take to get water,” Riley, a 27-year-old writer, told The Texas Tribune.

A Fort Worth resident reported a small “pencil-width” stream of water in his home. A woman from the Houston area who lives near the Medical Center recovered the water for about an hour yesterday, but said it was brown and unpalatable. A San Antonio resident said the water froze even after turning on the taps.

On Tuesday, more than 200,000 residents of northern Fort Worth, as well as people in Keller, Southlake, Roanoke and other nearby communities were instructed to boil their water while power outages affected water treatment plants, Dallas reported. Morning News.

On the same day, several counties in the Houston area, including the Pearland, Katy and Greatwood-Sugarland areas, also issued the same instructions to their customers, the Houston Chronicle reported.

By midday on Wednesday, Austin’s water was encouraging residents of the southern part of the city to boil the water before drinking it – but said “no contaminants were detected in the water we supply”.

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

The city of Arlington also issued a notice asking residents to boil water before consumption. Corpus Christi too.

For now, it is not clear when cities will be able to raise their boiling water warnings. While parts of Austin issued warnings as a precaution, other cities, such as San Angelo, spent days without drinking water after city officials found industrial chemicals contaminating the water system.