City asks residents to conserve water as system continues pressurizing; community remains under Boil Water Notice
UPDATE: The City of Breckenridge announced Friday evening, Dec. 12, that the water system had been successfully pressured up, and as a result, the water conservation measures have now been lifted. All residents are once again welcome to wash clothes and shower freely. However, the Boil Water Notice remains in effect.
By Carla McKeown and Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Following Thursday’s repairs to the water pipelines, the City of Breckenridge’s water system continues to pressurize today, although the process is moving slowly, City Manager Cynthia Northrop said in a media advisory this morning.
“… the process is taking longer than usual, and pressure has been building slowly overnight. As of approximately 4:00 a.m. this morning, the system reached 77 PSI. The ideal operating pressure is between 88–90 PSI,” Northrop said in the update.
The City of Breckenridge will continue to distribute cases of bottled water at the City Park through 5 p.m. today for any residents who need water due to the recent water outage and continuing Boil Water Notice. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Until the system reaches full capacity, the City is asking all residents to conserve water. “Please avoid showering, washing laundry, or using large amounts of water at this time to help the system stabilize,” Northrop requested via the advisory.
Additionally, Northrop asked anyone who does not have water service at this time to contact the City via the City of Breckenridge’s Facebook page. Those without a Facebook account may call the City at 254-559-8287.
Staff at the Water Treatment Plant actively monitored the system overnight and are continuing to make adjustments today to restore full pressure as quickly as possible, Northrop said in the media release. Public Works crews are flushing lines throughout the city, and City staff remain in contact with Stephens Memorial Hospital and Villa Haven Health and Rehabilitation Center to ensure homebound residents receive the assistance they need.
Although the water service has been restored, all City of Breckenridge water customers are still under a Boil Water Notice.
“As system pressure stabilizes over the weekend, we will collect required water samples on Monday for testing,” Northrop said. “Once results are received — hopefully by Tuesday — we will lift the boil water notice. Until then the boil water notice remains in effect.”
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, ice making, washing hands/face, brushing teeth, etc., should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. Children, seniors, and anyone with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions.
In lieu of boiling water, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s Boil Water Notice.
The City of Breckenridge will continue distributing both drinking and non-drinking water today. Bottled water is being distributed at the Breckenridge City Park, near the Trade Barn, and the non-drinking water is being distributed at the Breckenridge Fire Department, said Police Chief Blake Johnson, adding that the distribution locations will be open until 5 p.m. today, Friday, Dec. 12. Additionally, the portable toilets at the park and at First Methodist Church will be available through this afternoon, he said.
Breckenridge’s residents and businesses endured three days without water, following a busted water main in downtown Breckenridge that drained both towers on Tuesday morning. During the initial repair process, as crews were isolating the leak, a valve leading from the Water Treatment Plant was closed; later, it was found to be broken in the shut position, preventing the water towers from being refilled.
Early Wednesday morning, Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims declared a state of emergency for the city of Breckenridge due to the problems, and crews went to work replacing the broken valve. However, repairs made while replacing the valve on Wednesday did not hold, and the towers could not be refilled that night.
Work on the problem resumed early Thursday morning, and by early yesterday afternoon, the City announced that the repairs to the valve had been completed and were holding. By Thursday evening, water service began to return to many homes and businesses in the community.
“We would like to extend our most sincere appreciation to the Mayor, City Commissioners, City staff, community partners such as Stephens County, Breckenridge Independent School District, Stephens Memorial Hospital, the local Volunteer Fire Department, Stephens Regional Water District, surrounding communities, charitable organizations, and the many residents who came together during this time of need to support our community. This truly has been a team effort,” Northrop said in the media release. “We also want to express our deep appreciation to all City crews and contractors who worked around the clock to resolve this issue as quickly as possible. We recognize the inconvenience this situation has caused for so many, and we want to sincerely thank you for your continued patience and understanding.”
Cutline, top photo: Breckenridge Police Chief Blake Johnson, center, addresses a group of City employees and other emergency coordinators from around the community who met last night for a briefing on the water situation. Also pictured are, from left, City Manager Cynthia Northrop, Mayor Bob Sims and Stephens County Emergency Coordinator David Leonard. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Related articles:
City of Breckenridge remains without water tonight as valve repair fails
Breckenridge residents continue to deal with lack of water as crew works to replace broken valve
Mayor declares state of emergency for Breckenridge; drinking water to be made available to public
Local hospital, medical clinics close during Breckenridge water crisis
City of Breckenridge issues city-wide boil water notice
