Austin Water lifted boil water notice late Tuesday night

From City of Austin February 8, 2022

Boil Water Notice Lifted For All Customers

Austin Water has lifted the boil water notice for all customers. Customers no longer need to boil water used for drinking, cooking and making ice. Water quality testing submitted to the TCEQ has confirmed that tap water meets all regulatory standards and is safe for human consumption.

Austin Water has lifted the boil water notice. Testing has confirmed that tap water meets all regulatory standards and is safe for human consumption.

What should I do once the boil water notice is lifted?

Customers can flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains, etc. prior to using for drinking or cooking. Flushing simply means letting the water run to ensure that there is fresh water flowing through your pipes.

Follow these guidelines for flushing:

  • Run all cold-water faucets in your home for one minute
  • To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard
  • Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle

What should food enterprises do once the boil water notice is lifted?

Austin Public Health is requiring that all Food Enterprises flush all water lines, including lines directly connected to ice machines, coffee machines, and any other food preparation equipment. Flush lines by following the guidance below.

When a food service establishment is notified that the boil water advisory has been lifted and the drinking water supply is safe, the following actions need to be taken.
o Flush pipes throughout the facility by running each hot and cold water faucet for two minutes.
o Flush, clean, and sanitize appliances that use tap water (such as beverage dispensers, spray misters, coffee and tea urns, ice machines, glass washers, dishwashers) according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
o Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
o Run drinking fountains continuously for two minutes to flush the system.
o Take proper steps to flush ice machines by following the manufacturer’s instructions, including at a minimum:
o Throw out any ice remaining in all bins.
o Make one additional batch of ice in each machine, and discard this batch of ice.

What are the potential health concerns?

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.

Updated 10:15 p.m. 2/8/2022

 

From District 10:

Dear Neighbors
Austin Water just lifted the boil water notice. Like all of you, I am very relieved. I know these past three days have been disappointing and problematic for many. 
Austinites deserve safe and reliable water. As I shared in my Monday night update, I have called for an external audit of Austin Water. This independent review will identify what went wrong and how to prevent future failure. We also need to evaluate technology, operations and related issues that could improve the overall resilience and functioning of our water system.  I continue to express the need for greater transparency surrounding this specific incident. To that end, Council will hold a special called meeting on Tuesday to collectively discuss what happened. You can tune in on ATXN.  
Water quality testing submitted to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has confirmed that tap water meets all regulatory standards and is safe for human consumption. Below you’ll find the City’s press release regarding the end of the boil water notice and instructions on how to flush your pipes. As an overview, make sure to:
Run all cold water faucets in your home for one minuteTo flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discardRun water softeners through a regeneration cycleThere is much more work to do to ensure the reliability of our water utility system, and I plan to keep you updated.
Regards, Alison AlterMayor Pro TemCouncil Member, District 10