The City of Houston has lifted the boil water notice that it issued Sunday, November 27th. Customers no longer need to boil water before drinking, cooking, and making ice. Water quality testing submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has confirmed that tap water meets all regulatory standards and is safe to drink.

On Sunday, November 27 TCEQ required Houston Water to issue a boil water notice for the City of Houston’s Main Water System (TX1010013), following a drop in PSI during a power outage at the East Water Purification Plant. The notice was issued out of an abundance of caution and the City informed customers, individuals, and employees that the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

Houston Water has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of Tuesday, November 29th.

Next Steps

Customers should flush their water system by running cold-water faucets for at least one minute, cleaning automatic ice makers by making and discarding several batches of ice, and running water softeners through a regeneration cycle.

Please 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).

If customers have questions concerning this matter, they may contact 311 or 713.837.0311.

Background

A boil water notice was issued for the City of Houston’s Main Water System because the water pressure dropped below TCEQ’s required limit of 20 PSI during a power outage at the East Water Purification Plant on Sunday, November 27, at 10:30 am.

Water Quality Testing

Houston Water worked with TCEQ to establish corrective actions necessary to lift the boil water notice. The actions included analyzing 29 water samples from throughout the City of Houston. Test results, reviewed by TCEQ, indicated that water provided by Houston meets all regulatory standards and is safe for human consumption. On Tuesday, November 29th, the TCEQ gave the City of Houston approval to lift the boil water notice. Water quality reports are available online at: http://bit.ly/houwaterquality

Resources

Customers can visit https://houstonemergency.org for the latest information and frequently asked questions, including guidance for food service establishments.