The boil water notice in Houston was lifted Saturday morning, although residents were ordered to exercise caution when consuming water. Said order for most of Houston was issued after a water main ruptured. The 8-foot diameter water main pipe burst in east Houston Thursday.
According to test results reviewed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the water met safety standards and was suitable to drink.
After the notice for two days after a massive water main break, they advised steps to take before consuming your tap water.
First, flush your water system. This is done by running cold water down all your faucets in your home for one minute before returning to normal consumption. Next, clean automatic ice makers through making and discarding three batches of ice from the machines before using them again. Lastly, run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
Having been lifted at 10:50 AM, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality approved the 43 water samples the city submitted for examining.
According to Mayor Sylvester Turner, "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."
The mayor was anticipating good test results before the notice was lifted while the Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show parade was ongoing.
The water main break will continue to be repaired through the weekend and the water is expected to be running through the line again by Tuesday.
The prohibiting of boiling water affected all of Houston, except for Clear Lake and Kingwood. Houston Water worked with TCEQ to examine 44 water samples across the city.
Turner said, "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."
When the water main was ruptured while a contractor was working on it, it flooded a section of the highway and caused water pressure to drop.
Schools, courts and some businesses and medical facilities were closed in the aftermath.
AlertHouston is asking everyone to share the update with people especially those who may not have received an alert directly but regularly drink tap water.
Saturday was day 2 of working on Clinton Street where the water main broke. City crews returned digging and removing dirt as areas of the road remained closed for heavy machinery.
According to city officials, the soil was essentially containing the leak.
The city had no reason to believe the water was contaminated, but the state requires the prohibition of boiling water to be implemented when the water pressure decreases below 20 PSI.
Despite the boil water order, water pressure is fully restored all over the city. Turner expects all schools and businesses to be in operation again by Monday.
Related article: Electric Vehicles Would be a Breath of Fresh Air for Houston
