Water line repaired, boil water notice in effect until Tuesday
City crews worked through the night — Thursday into Friday — to repair a leaking water line in the 1500 block of West Elliott Street, restoring water service to the area, according to City of Breckenridge Public Works Director Houston Satterwhite. However, the boil water notice for the area will remain in effect until at least Tuesday.
Satterwhite declared a boil water notice on Thursday, Oct. 19, for the Breckenridge water customers within the new “Friday Trash Service” pick-up area, excluding the customers on and north of Walker Street.
According to Satterwhite, the lab in Abilene that tests the water samples will not accept them from the city until Monday. Once the samples are submitted to the lab, it usually takes about 24 hours to get the results, and he said he hopes to have the boil water notice lifted by Tuesday.
“It was a little difficult last night,” he said. “It should be together now, and we’re done with that.”
Satterwhite said once they got to the pipe to repair it, it was in really bad shape. He said there was evidence of six repairs made in the past to the pipe within a 35-foot section. That, combined with a bad valve, meant the entire section had to be replaced.
Although the repair has been made, they are continuing to work in the area, completing the job of covering up the repair area.
The boil water notice is in effect because the water line break forced valves to be turned off, and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality regulations require the water in that system be boiled prior to consumption for safety reasons.
To ensure the destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and ice making should be boiled for at least two minutes. In lieu of boiling water, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water for some other suitable source, according to the City of Breckenridge.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, water system officials will notify each customer directly in the affected area.
For more information, call the City of Breckenridge at 254-559-8287 or the water office at 254-559-7249.
Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
