Several water treatment plants in Houston, Texas, lost power on Sunday, prompting the city authorities to issue a boil water advisory.
Fox News reported that Houston Public Works stated that the East Water Purification Plant's water pressure fell below the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's permitted minimum of 20 PSI during a power outage.
Houston Power Outage
The agency, as per American boil water order, recommended that people not drink water directly from the tap, but rather boil it for at least two minutes and then let it cool before consuming it. The use of bottled water is advised for those without electricity.
After the power went out on Sunday, the announcement said that all customers would soon have water pressure again. According to Houston City Mayor Sylvester Turner, he feels confident in the safety of its water supply though he was required to issue a boil water advisory by state authorities.
Turner posted on Twitter Monday morning: "Water samples will subsequently follow and hopefully we will get the all-clear from TCEQ." He added that the city needs to wait 24 hours before lifting the boil-water advisory. The earliest would be Monday night or early Tuesday morning.
This warning of American boil water order, which was distributed six hours after the original outage, claims to have an impact on more than 2.3 million individuals. Erin Jones, public relations officer for Houston Public Works, said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) received a water sampling plan.
She stated that Houston Public Works must collect and submit water samples to TCEQ when the water sample plan is authorized. The samples must wait in a TCEQ lab for 18 hours to see if anything develops on them. The city can lift theUS boil water policy if the water samples show no growth. According to Jones, Houston cannot lift the boil order without state approval.
Jones further noted that the cancellation of the injunction will surely take longer if something does grow on the collected water samples. In a statement, TCEQ said that they "are working closely with the City of Houston and stand ready to review the city's water sample results" and propose any specialized assistance the process may require.
Why You Need to Boil Water in Houston?
Authorities advise the public to boil tap water for at least two minutes before consuming it if their water supply comes from Houston. According to ABC 13 Eyewitness News, the public must follow these further advice as well:
- Food, drink, and toothbrush water should be boiled.
- Boil the water for two to three minutes minimum.
- Do not utilize the chilled water lines on the refrigerators.
- Do not use ice from an automatic ice machine.
- Boil water even if it is for brewing coffee.
Following the City of Houston's announcement of the US boil water policy announcement, Governor Greg Abbott instructed the Texas Division of Emergency Management and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to mobilize the necessary resources to assist the City.
Houston's boil water announcement Sunday evening prompted officials to declare that all public schools would be closed on Monday, as reported by CNN. The Houston Independent School District tweeted that it was keeping an eye on the issue. It stated that it would give more details of the American boil water order on Monday.
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