From Mayor Friedberg:
Things can change very quickly in the midst of a crisis. Soon after I posted what I thought would be my last update for the night, we’ve had a major new development. Residents are being advised through our PrepareBellaire emergency alert system to boil water until further notice. Please be assured no contaminants or unsafe conditions have actually been detected, but you are being asked to boil your water before use out of an abundance of caution.
Here’s what happened: Early this evening one of our water wells went down due to the extremely cold temperatures we’re experiencing, and another is currently operating at a reduced capacity. We rely on surface water from the City of Houston for half of our water supply, but at the moment we’re not receiving any, for the same reason. The combined effect has been a sudden drop in system water pressures below recommended levels, and low enough to trigger a boil water notice.
Again, this being done as a precaution per TCEQ requirements, and we’ll let you know just as soon as the situation is resolved. You should boil city water and then allow it to cool before using it, or use bottled water as an alternative. Please help us spread the word to your friends and neighbors who may not be receiving our messages, and thank you for bearing with us through this incredibly challenging and frustrating extreme weather event.
Water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking). To ensure destruction of any harmful bacteria and other microbes, the water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions.
In lieu of boiling water, individuals may utilize bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes. Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the City will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice.
