HOUSTON – After an 8-foot diameter water main pipe burst in east Houston Thursday, sparking a days-long boil water advisory, city officials said Saturday it is no longer necessary to boil your water.
The City of Houston lifted the boil water notice that has been in place since Thursday, Feb. 27.
Houston residents no longer need to boil water used for drinking, cooking and making ice, according to city officials.
Water quality testing submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality confirmed that the tap water meets all regulatory standards and is safe to drink.
“I appreciate everyone’s patience over the past couple of days as Houston Water crews worked to isolate the break and restore water pressure to the city of Houston. I also thank the community for conserving water usage and following the boil water notice,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a release. “The repairs on the water line will continue through the weekend and we expect the line to be back in service no later than Tuesday. Once the city returns to regular operations, Houston Water staff will analyze the event and data to take the necessary steps to ensure the resiliency of our systems”
Now that boil water notice is lifted, officials said residents should flush their water systems, clean automatic ice makers and run water through a regeneration cycle, among other recommendations.
The boil water notice impacted all of Houston, except for Clear Lake and Kingwood.
The massive 35-year-old pipe, which is connected to a plant that supplies nearly 50% of the city’s water, broke while crews were working to repair a leak that had been detected along Clinton Drive near the Interstate 610 East Loop.
The rupture lowered water pressure or completely knocked out water service to hundreds of businesses and schools across the city. Turner said in a tweet Friday morning that water pressure readings had stabilized.
Here is the Friday press conference with Mayor Turner and other city officials:
Boil water notice issued for Houston
A boil water notice was issued for the Houston water system Thursday and was lifted least Saturday morning. Officials said water tested at city water labs meet all regulatory standards and is safe to drink.
A map released by Houston Public Works shows the area that fell under the boil water notice.
Officials also provided guidance on how long the water should be boiled and for what unboiled water can be used. Click here to read their tips.
Schools, colleges, hospitals deal with water woes
Several schools and colleges canceled classes Friday amid concerns about the availability of water. Click here to read the full list of schools and colleges that have canceled classes.
While emergency rooms were open, some hospitals were forced to adjust the scheduling of some appointments for elective procedures. Click here to see information from the hospitals.
Bottle water supplies being restocked
Customers at some Houston grocery stores said Thursday night they were having trouble finding bottled water.
Officials at several of the major chains said that bottled water has been selling at a brisk pace and they are working hard to restock their supplies.
KPRC 2 has compiled a list of some stores that reported having water in stock Friday morning. Click here to read the list.
Repairs will take time
A spokeswoman for Houston Public Works said that crews began assessing the condition of the pipe Friday morning to determine what kind of repairs need to be made.
A spokeswoman for Turner said it will take crews about a week to complete repairs on the 8-foot water line that feeds water to the city from the Northeast Purification Plant.
