Mayor declares state of emergency for Breckenridge; drinking water to be made available to public
By Carla McKeown and Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Breckenridge Mayor Bob Sims has declared a state of emergency for the city of Breckenridge due to the ongoing water supply problems that started Tuesday, Dec. 9, when a contractor laying fiber optics lines hit a water main in downtown Breckenridge.
The emergency declaration has been submitted to the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) to authorize additional resources, including access to potable and non-potable water supplies.
According to a media release from City Manager Cynthia Northrop, in preparation for possible extended service disruption, the City is collaborating with community partners to secure potable (drinking water) and non-potable (non-drinking water) water for distribution to residents. Distribution sites will be located at:
- Breckenridge City Park
- Parking lot next to City Hall (105 N. Rose)
- ONE Church
Distribution will begin at the City Park only at noon today, Wednesday, Dec. 10; additional locations will be added as water is sourced. Updates will be released as they become available. Residents may drive through the distribution sites to receive a case of bottled water. Those needing non-potable water (for toilet flushing, etc.) should bring a water receptacle — such as a 5-gallon bucket — to the City Park, as that will be the only location offering non-potable water.
Additionally, portable toilets will be located in the City Park and the First Methodist Church parking lot for local residents to use.
Homebound residents who are unable to travel to a distribution site may request delivery by calling the City’s non-emergency dispatch line at 254-553-2211. The City also encourages residents to check on their neighbors — particularly the elderly, homebound, or those with limited transportation — to ensure they have the assistance and resources they need during this service interruption.
Water tankers are being staged at key locations throughout the city, including the Breckenridge Fire Department (for fire protection), Stephens Memorial Hospital (for patient needs), and the City Park (for residential use). Additional water resources will be secured and deployed as needed.
Breckenridge ISD will remain closed until further notice, and all non-essential businesses are asked to remain closed until the water system can be restored.
“The Mayor, City Commission, City staff, and partner agencies, including Stephens County, Breckenridge Independent School District, Stephens Memorial Hospital, and local Volunteer Fire Departments, recognize the significant hardship this situation has created for residents and are working collaboratively to provide solutions,” Northrop said in the media release. “The City remains fully committed to resolving this issue as quickly as possible and continuing long-term efforts to address and improve aging infrastructure throughout Breckenridge.”
The city’s water problems began Tuesday morning when multiple major water line breaks occurred across the city, resulting in a complete loss of water service for all Breckenridge residents. City crews have been working around the clock since the incident began, and as of today, the water lines contributing to issuing the boil water notice have been successfully repaired, Northrop said in the media release
However, a critical valve leading from the Water Treatment Plant remains under repair. The valve — responsible for allowing water to flow from the plant to the city’s water towers — was found to be broken in the closed position during isolation of the leaks. Contractors are actively working on the repairs this morning. At this time, the completion of the repair could be as early as this afternoon. The goal is to have water restored by the end of the day today, but this is dependent upon successful repair, Northrop said.
Once repairs are completed the city will pressure the lines and take samples to be sent for testing. Residents will be required to boil their water until test results are received. The best case scenario will be to have results back by Friday, Dec. 12, and have the Boil Water Notice rescinded, according to the release.
For continued updates, residents are encouraged to monitor the City’s official communication channels:
City staff and county partners will meet today at 5 p.m. for updates on the situation.
Cutline, top photo: To help the City of Breckenridge deal with the ongoing water emergency, Hubbard Creek Volunteer Fire Department loaned a tanker full of water to the Breckenridge Fire Department to use in case of a fire during the water outage. Other sources of water are being brought into Breckenridge today to help residents as the repairs are made to the water system. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Related articles:
City of Breckenridge issues city-wide boil water notice
Editor’s note: This story was updated at about 11 a.m. Dec. 10, 2025, to include information about the portable toilets.
