AUSTIN, Texas – The Travis County Sherriff’s Office said that it has been receiving calls from family members of inmates, concerned there is a water shortage at the county jails.

Authorities said that notices are in place in all inmate housing areas to not drink the water from faucets. The sheriff’s office said it has enough water reserves at the Travis County Correctional Complex in Del Valle to accommodate inmates with bottled water for several hours. 

They also said that water has been boiled at the Travis County Jail in downtown Austin, cooled, and is being distributed via water cooler containers. Authorities said that additional water is currently being transported from adjacent counties to replenish their supply. The sheriff’s office said it is working with the Office of Emergency Management to get a water tanker with the capacity of 3,000 to 5,000 gallons of potable water.

A spokesperson with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office released the following statement, which reads, in part:  

“The proper care of our inmate population is of utmost importance to us, and we will make sure they do not go without clean drinking water.”