Austin Residents Urged To Boil Water, Cut Usage Post-Flooding

AUSTIN, TEXAS — Utility officials on Sunday urged residents to reduce water usage and boil water before drinking it or using it for cooking amid efforts to remove dirt and waste at treatment plants resulting from last week's heavy rains.

Issued at 3 a.m. on Monday morning, the boil-water notice was the first-ever in the city's history. Austin Water officials said water at the Highland Lakes has increased in cloudiness due to debris, mud and silt that flowed in greater volumes than normal into the Colorado River amid historic floods that swept through the Central Texas region last week.

River quality remains poor as a result of the post-flood detritus, and cloudy water is visible at Lake Travis and Austin Lake among other bodies of water, officials said. Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros described during a press conference how utility crews have had to shut down some water plant functions in order to clean filters. As a result, Mesrazos said, the utility's treatment capacity has been limited.

“This is a very serious event, and it is critical that our community reduce their water use as much as much as possible until our river water quality stabilizes, and we can get all our plants back running the way they normally do,” Meszaros said.

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During the taxing process of treating plants to improve water quality, utility officials are asking customers to minimize outdoor and indoor water usage, postpone their laundry and dishwasher use as long as possible and take shorter showers. This plea was issued so that less volumes of water flow through the treatments during cleaning efforts.

It's unclear how long the water use limitations would be in place: “This could be a long-term event for us, and we just need to work with the community to get through this," Maszaros said.

In the wake of the notice, cases of bottled water were quickly snapped up at stores throughout the city. Restaurants across the city either altered their menus or closed altogether in light of the boil-water provision, and coffee shops were forced to halt sales of their caffeinated staple given the main water ingredient needed for serving.

Various entities throughout the city issued advisories to update the public on steps they've taken to protect people from drinking the bacteria-infused water.

Relatives of people being detained in county jails have flooded the Travis County Sheriff's Office (TCSO) with calls of concerns about their jailed loves ones' welfare as it relates to the compromised water, a spokeswoman suggested in a Monday email. Inmates have been advised to avoid drinking fountains in lieu of bottled water for the time being, the spokeswoman said.

"We’ve been receiving calls from family members of inmates, concerned there is a water shortage at our county jails," sheriff's office spokesperson Kristen Dark said in the email. "Notices are in place in all inmate housing areas not to drink the water from faucets. TCSO has enough water reserves at the Travis County Correctional Complex (Del Valle) to accommodate inmates with bottled water for several hours. Water has been boiled at the Travis County Jail (downtown), cooled and is being distributed via water cooler containers. Additional water is currently being transported from adjacent counties to replenish our supply."

And there's more safe drinking water en route, she added: "We have 500 cases of water arriving today, with an additional 4,375 cases on order for the upcoming days (15,000 bottles per day / 7 days). A STAR request has been submitted for water from the state. We are working with the Office of Emergency Management to get a water tanker with the capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of potable water."

She assured family members of those detained in particular and the public in general of the currency placed on prisoner safety: "The proper care of our inmate population is of utmost importance to us, and we will make sure they do not go without clean drinking water," Dark said.

At the Austin Independent School District, precautions were taken to protect children from drinking the compromised drinking water. "Austin ISD is continuing to monitor the ongoing situation," district officials wrote on their website. "The district has enough resources on hand for today, and all AISD campuses and offices are operating on a normal schedule."

In light of the water boil notice, Austin ISD took the following precautions:

• Drinking fountains were covered or closed to prevent students from using them.

• Cafeteria managers are following boil instructions for safety.

• Food menus were adjusted to include hot vegetables, and fruits such as apples and oranges. No salad bars were offered Monday.

"Students are encouraged to bring their own drinking water or other beverage such as juice, sports drinks, etc. from home," school district officials said. "Schools will also supply any student in need with water. Campuses will accept donations of bottled water in the meantime."

AISD posted an added note to their notice in assuaging parents' concerns: "Our students' health and safety is of utmost importance to us. Thank you for your flexibility and support."

Austin ISD officials officials listed tips related to the boil-water notice in the form of a FAQ notice.

Boil Water Notice FAQs

"To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and for making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to consumption," school district officials wrote. "The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil for three minutes. You may also use bottled water. State laws require that a Boil Water Notice be issued if a water systems has (or could have) become contaminated from water main breaks, loss of system pressure, or results of routine sampling in the system."

• What should I do if a boil water notice has been issued? Do not drink the water without boiling it first. Bring all water to a rolling boil for at least three minutes, and let it cool before using, or use bottled water. Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing dishes, food preparation, and water for pets. Boiling kills harmful bacteria and other organisms in the water that may cause illness. You should throw away ice made during the time the notice was issued (freezing does not kill bacteria).
• Is the water safe for washing dishes, laundry, and bathing? The water is safe for washing dishes, but you should use hot, soapy water and rinse dishes in boiled water. There are no restrictions on doing laundry. The water is also safe for bathing.
• How do I prepare food and baby formula? Only use boiled or bottled water for cooking, making ice, washing fruits and vegetables, and making baby formula. If you must use water to make formula, use bottled water. If you don't have bottled water, use water that has been rapidly boiled for at least three minutes.
• How long will the need to boil water continue? Customers should not stop boiling the water until they receive notice from Austin Water. Typically the need to boil water lasts for 24 to 48 hours, but can be longer. How long will depend on the conditions that caused the need to boil, how quickly the conditions are corrected, and how long it takes for laboratory results to confirm it is safe to return to normal water use. Austin Water will provide updates on the progress of corrective actions and how long the event is expected to last.
• What do I need to do when the notice has been lifted? Austin Water will notify you when it is no longer necessary to boil the water. You should flush your water system by running all cold water faucets in your home for at least one minute, cleaning automatic ice makers by making and discarding three batches of ice, and running water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
• Why is the boil water notice important? Inadequately treated water may contain harmful bacteria, viruses, and parasites which can cause symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms. They may pose a special health risk for infants, young children, some of the elderly and people with severely compromised immune systems.

Those water safety tips also were published in Spanish. En español aqui.

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