AUSTIN – Austin Water has lifted the boil water notice for customers. Customers no longer need to boil water used for 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 for human consumption.
On February 5, the TCEQ regulations required Austin Water, Public Water System ID#TX227001, to issue a Boil Water Notice informing customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from the Austin Water public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Austin 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 February 8, 2022.
“The Boil Water Notice has been lifted and customers can resume use of their tap water for consumption,” said Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros. “Austin Water will immediately begin a thorough review of the incident and will implement any necessary process improvements to avoid operator errors in the future.”
“Thank you for your patience. We should not be dealing with frequent water boils, and we all have questions. The Council will be meeting next week so that the City Manager can answer questions for us and the public. We need to be confident that this won’t happen again,” said Mayor Steve Adler. “In the meantime, thank you to the staff and the State regulators who have enabled the water boil notice to be lifted quickly and to all the volunteers, businesses, donors, city and county personnel that were able to get thousands of bottles and gallons of water out to those that were in need. I continue to be inspired by all the ways our community comes together to help one another in times of need. And we are ready to get past such “times in need.”
If customers have questions concerning this matter, visit austinwater.org or follow @austinwater on social media.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality(TCEQ) has allowed the following Austin Water wholesale customers to lift their boil water notices:
City of Rollingwood
Mid-Tex Utility
Northtown MUD
North Austin MUD
Travis County WCID #10
Wells Branch MUD
The following Austin Water wholesale customers are awaiting test results and remain under a Boil Water Notice:
Rivercrest Water System
Morningside Subdivision
Nighthawk WSC
Shady Hollow MUD
City of Sunset Valley
Creedmoor-Maha WSC
Marsha WSC
High Valley WSC
Customers of Austin Water wholesale customers listed above should contact their provider directly for the latest updates.
Water Quality Testing
Austin Water worked with state officials at TCEQ to establish corrective actions necessary to lift the boil water notice. The actions required by the State included getting the Ullrich Water Treatment Plant back to normal operations and analyzing more than 44 water samples from throughout the system across the city. Test results, reviewed by TCEQ officials, indicated that water provided by Austin meets all regulatory standards and is safe for human consumption. On February 8, City of Austin issued the all-clear to lift the boil water notice for all customers of Austin Water.
Customer Guidance After A Boil Water Notice
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
Guidance for Food Enterprises
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.
Flush pipes throughout the facility by running each hot and cold water faucet for two minutes.
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.
Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle.
Run drinking fountains continuously for two minutes to flush the system.
Take proper steps to flush ice machines by following the manufacturer’s instructions, including at a minimum:
Customers can visit www.austintexas.gov/page/boil-water-notice-and-faqs for more information and frequently asked questions.
