A mandatory boil-water notice was issued in Houston this week after a major water purification plant lost power over the weekend, causing public schools to close Monday.
Houston Public Works spokesperson Erin Jones told The New York Times that the agency is following state protocols for testing water samples and added that the notice will likely last until Tuesday.
The notice states that Houston residents should not drink water without boiling it and to let the water boil for at least two minutes.
"We believe the water is safe but based on regulatory requirements when pressure drops below 20 psi we are obligated to issue a boil water notice," the Houston Mayor’s Office said in a statement on Twitter. "The City is submitting its plan to TCEQ [Texas Commission on Environmental Quality] for approval tonight."
The mayor’s office added: "Water samples will subsequently follow and hopefully we will get the all clear from TCEQ. The City has to wait 24 hours from that point before the boil water notice is suspended. The earliest would be tomorrow night or very early Tuesday morning."
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement: "The state of Texas is immediately responding and deploying support to Houston as they work to get a safe supply of water back online. We urge those that the boil-water notice affects to continue heeding the guidance of local officials and take adequate precautions."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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