City of Austin

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Release Date: Oct. 22, 2018

Contact: Emergency Operations Center - Public Information Officer

Austin Water Issues City-wide Boil Water Notice

Customers asked to boil water used for drinking, cooking or ice.

Austin Water relies on residents to take the following proactive steps while the utility continues to do everything in its power to restore water treatment to normal operations.

Updated: October 23, 2018 10 AM

Boil Water Notice Remains in Effect. There is an urgent need for customers to reduce water use. Austin water treatment plants can currently produce approximately 105 million gallons of water per day. Current customer use is about 120 million gallons per day. Water reservoir levels are reaching minimal levels. Immediate action is needed to avoid running out of water. All residents are asked to reduce your personal consumption by 15 – 20 percent. Avoid all outdoor water use and minimize indoor use immediately. This is an emergency situation.

Actualización 4pm - Aviso de hervir agua en efecto. Existe una necesidad urgente de Austin Water que los clientes reduzcan el uso del agua. Las plantas de tratamiento de agua pueden producir aproximadamente 105 millones de galones de agua por día. El uso actual del cliente es 120 millones de galones. Los niveles de la reserva de agua están alcanzando niveles mínimos. Se necesita acción inmediata para evitar quedarse sin agua. A todos los residentes se les piden que reduzcan su consumo personal entre un 15 y un 20 por ciento. Evite todo uso de agua en exteriores y minimice el uso en interiores inmediatamente. Esta es una situación de emergencia.

Boil Water Notice is Still in Place – Emergency Conservation Now Required

Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros has issued emergency water use restrictions, effective at 10 a.m., Monday, October 22, 2018.

Austin City Code Chapter 6-4-20 allows the Director to enact emergency restrictions to protect public health during an unusual operations event. Due to the high level of silt and debris in our water supply lakes as a result of recent flooding, there is an urgent need to reduce water demand to allow treatment plant operations to stabilize.

During this period and until further notice, all outdoor water use is prohibited. Customers may not:

Use water for irrigation or testing of irrigation equipment
Wash vehicles, including at commercial car wash facilities
Wash pavement or other surfaces
Add water to a pool or spa
Conduct foundation watering, or
Operate an ornamental fountain or pond, other than aeration necessary to support aquatic life

Violations of these restrictions should be reported to Austin 3-1-1. Austin Water appreciates your support in reducing water use to help stabilize Austin’s water treatment plants.

The emergency water use restrictions are necessary to ensure water is available for firefighting and basic needs. Historic flood waters flowing into our region’s water supply lakes, the Highland Lakes, contain much higher levels of debris, silt, and mud. As a result, Austin water is experiencing reduced water treatment capacity.

Austin Water has issued a city-wide boil water notice for all customers. To ensure that water is safe, customers are asked to boil water that is used for drinking, cooking or ice for three minutes.

The city-wide boil water notice is in addition to actions taken by the City over the last week to ensure the health and safety of our community during this flood event. These have included activating the Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center to closely monitor the evolving conditions, closing the City’s waterway, closing Parks and Recreation facilities along City waterways, monitoring and managing low-water crossings, and working with our neighbors to the west of Austin to respond to their own flood emergencies.

The Austin-Travis County Emergency Operations Center will remain active through the remainder of this situation and will be providing updates as conditions change.

Espanol

El aviso de hervir el agua todavía está en efecto: ahora se requiere la conservación de agua en situaciones de emergencia

El Director del departamento de Agua de la Ciudad de Austin, Greg Meszaros, ha emitido restricciones de emergencia para el uso de agua, con vigencia a las 10 a.m., el lunes 22 de octubre de 2018.

El Código de la Ciudad de Austin, Capítulo 6-4-20, permite al Director promulgar restricciones de emergencia para proteger la salud pública durante un evento de operaciones inusual. Debido al alto nivel de sedimentos y escombros en nuestros lagos de suministro de agua como resultado de las recientes inundaciones, existe una necesidad urgente de reducir la demanda de agua para permitir que las operaciones de la planta de tratamiento se estabilicen.

Durante este período y hasta nuevo aviso, todo uso de agua al aire libre está prohibido. Los clientes no pueden:

Usar agua para riego o pruebas de equipos de riego.
Lavar vehículos, incluso en instalaciones comerciales de lavado de autos
Lavar el pavimento u otras superficies
Añadir agua a una piscina o spa
Llevar a cabo el riego de la fundación, o
Operar una fuente o estanque ornamental, que no sea la aireación necesaria para apoyar la vida acuática

Las violaciones de estas restricciones deben informarse a Austin 3-1-1. Austin Water aprecia su apoyo para reducir el uso de agua para ayudar a estabilizar las plantas de tratamiento de agua de Austin.

Las restricciones de emergencia de uso de agua son necesarias para garantizar que haya agua disponible para la extinción de incendios y necesidades básicas para la comunidad. Las inundaciónes históricas que fluyen en los lagos de suministro de agua de nuestra región, y los lagos Highland, contienen niveles mucho más altos de escombros, limo y lodo. Como resultado, la utilidad de agua de Austin está experimentando una capacidad reducida de agua tratada.

Austin Water ha emitido un aviso de hervir agua en toda la ciudad para todos los clientes. Para garantizar que el agua sea segura, se les pide a los clientes que hiervan el agua que se utiliza para beber, cocinar o consumo de hielo durante tres minutos.

El aviso de hervir agua en toda la ciudad es adicional a las medidas tomadas por la Ciudad durante la última semana para garantizar la salud y la seguridad de nuestra comunidad durante este evento de inundación. Estos incluyen la activación del Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia del Condado de Austin-Travis para monitorear de cerca la evolución de las condiciones, cerrar las vías navegables de la Ciudad, cerrar los parques y las instalaciones recreativas a lo largo de las vías fluviales de la Ciudad, monitorear y administrar los cruces de aguas bajas y trabajar con nuestros vecinos al oeste de Austin para responder a sus propias emergencias de inundaciones.

El Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia del Condado de Austin-Travis permanecerá activo durante el resto de esta situación y proporcionará actualizaciones a medida que cambien las condiciones.

Para obtener más información, visite http://assets.austintexas.gov/water/preguntas_mas_frecuentes.pdf

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Austin Water Issues City-wide Boil Water Notice

(Austin)- Austin Water has issued a city-wide boil water notice for all customers of Austin Water. The notice is being issued as the utility works to stabilize the water treatment system.

Historic flood waters flowing into our water supply lakes contain very high levels of silt that makes it challenging for the water plants to produce the volume of water needed to supply customers at this time. The high level of debris, silt and mud requires extended filtration that slows the process of getting treated water in to the system. To provide necessary water pressure for fire protection, plants must distribute water at treatment levels not typical of the utility's high standards for consumption.

To ensure that water is safe, customers are asked to boil water used for drinking, cooking or ice until further notice. It's important to note that there have been no positive tests for bacterial infiltration of the system at this time.

"Anyone who's seen the water running through Ladybird Lake can see how muddy it is. The unprecedented rain and runoff through our entire lake system has simply overwhelmed our treatment capacity," said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. "The good thing is that we can continue with most of our daily routines - like showering, hand washing and laundry - but we all need to do our part to conserve where we can, and boil the tap water we consume. We're working with our partners in the school systems, health care, food service and neighboring cities to make sure we're all working together."

What can customers do?

Reduce water use as much as possible to ensure adequate supply is available for basic needs, fire protection, public health and safety.
Boil water intended for consumption. 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. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil for three minutes. In lieu of boiling water, you may use bottled water.
Businesses should not use drinking fountains or soda fountains that rely on tap water.

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.

City of Austin and Austin Water are working in coordination with public health and safety partners in the region to keep the public informed.

Boil Water Notice and FAQs

A CITY-WIDE BOIL WATER NOTICE IS IN EFFECT AS OF OCTOBER 22, 2018

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. 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 IS 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.

WHAT ABOUT SCHOOLS AND HOSPITALS?
Austin Water has been working with hospitals, medical facilities and schools during this event to alert them to the need to boil water for drinking and food preparation. Water may still be used for laundry and cleaning.