Breckenridge Texan

By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

With today’s temperatures remaining below freezing and many streets still iced over, the winter storm that moved into the area on Friday, continues to have an impact on Breckenridge and Stephens County. This evening, the City of Breckenridge is asking residents to conserve water as City crews work to locate and repair water leaks around town. Additionally, school has been canceled and the City offices will be closed on Tuesday, Jan. 27.

In a statement on the City’s Facebook page, officials said the City is experiencing a water loss in the water towers from leaks that have not yet been identified.

Here is the complete statement:

Due to current winter weather conditions, our water crews have been working throughout town to locate potential water leaks. Ice and snow have made these efforts difficult, and at this time we are experiencing water loss in our water towers from leaks that have not yet been identified.

While crews continue to work diligently to locate and address the source of the water loss, we are asking all residents to help by conserving water as much as possible over the next several days. Your cooperation is essential as water lines begin to thaw and crews are able to complete further inspections.

We understand that during freezing temperatures, residents may need to keep faucets dripping to prevent frozen pipes, and we encourage you to continue doing so as needed. However, please ensure that faucets are set to a slow drip rather than a full or heavy stream.

We sincerely appreciate your patience and assistance during this time. Your efforts will help us maintain adequate water levels while crews continue working to resolve the issue as quickly and safely as possible.

Thank you for your cooperation

Additionally, the City issued a Boil Water Notice this evening for Shirley Courts in northwest Breckenridge. The Boil Water Notice means that residents on Shirley Courts need to boil tap water for two minutes before using it for drinking, cooking, washing hands/face, brushing teeth, etc.

Since temperatures aren’t expected to get above freezing until around noon on Tuesday, Breckenridge Independent School District canceled school again for Tuesday. “Again, we will continue to closely monitor weather forecasts and road conditions and will make a determination regarding school operations for Wednesday as soon as possible,” school officials said in a statement on Facebook. “Families and staff will be notified promptly once a plan is finalized.”

While the City of Breckenridge offices will be closed on Tuesday, the Stephens County Courthouse will open at noon and Stephens Memorial Hospital will open at 1 p.m. Tuesday. The hospital notes that most departments will be available but some services may be limited. If you have questions, call 254-559-2241 before you get leave home. The SMH Emergency Department is open 24 hours a day.

The National Weather Service is predicting daily high temperatures in the 40s with overnight lows dropping into the teens or 20s through Friday.