ALERT: Austin Issues New Mandatory State Notification Boil Water Notice

Austin Issues New Mandatory State Notification Boil Water Notice….. Austin is expecting this boil water notice to go on for several days…

Austin Water is now issuing an official Boil Water notice as required by The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

On the morning of Monday, October 22, as a precautionary measure, Austin Water issued a system-wide boil water notice — alerting the public that all customers should boil water to prevent any potential health issues. At that point, Austin Water had not exceeded regulatory turbidity standards.

As of October 23, the turbidity standard has been exceeded and Austin Water is officially required by TCEQ regulatory requirements to issue a boil water notice.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) sets minimum water quality standards for public drinking water. One of these standards is a turbidity limit. Turbidity by itself has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may also indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms.

These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms can be particularly severe in people who are not as resistant to infections as most of the population. If you experience severe symptoms, please consult with your doctor to determine what actions you should take.

Austin Water failed to meet the minimum treatment technique requirements for turbidity on Tuesday, October 23, 2018. Specifically, the turbidity level of 5.0 Nephelometric Turbidity Units.

At this point, the TCEQ requires utilities to issue this public notice and to tell all customers that they should boil their water prior to consumption – the step Austin Water took as a precaution earlier.

So, to ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, any water that you use for drinking, cooking, or ice making should be boiled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for three minutes. (Be sure to let it cool before drinking it.) In lieu of boiling, bottled water may be used. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, we will notify you.

Austin Water has taken the following corrective actions to prevent a recurrence of the violations:

• All customers are asked to continue to reduce their water use to meet basic needs.
• Prohibited outdoor water use.
• Continue to optimize our treatment process for turbidity removal and ensure there are good disinfection levels.

If you want more information about the nature and significance of this violation, you may contact 3-1-1.

The city is also asking people to share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses.

The boil water notice will be lifted once Austin Water can stabilize the treatment systems. Austin Water will notify residents when the water is safe for consumption and it is no longer necessary to boil the water.

For more information, boil water notice updates, frequently asked questions about boil water notices and additional resources, visit http://www.austintexas.gov/boilH2O.