TEXAS – With power outages across Texas impacting water treatment plants, cities like Lewisville have had to ask residents to boil their tap water to ensure it is safe for consumption. 

Water lines across the state were damaged due to extended freezing temps, resulting in Lewisville holding tanks losing pressure and dropping below the safe standard of 20 PSI.

Kelly Rouse, the utilities manager for the City of Lewisville, said that change in pressure forced the city to issue the boil-water notice Thursday, February 18, for those living in the east end of the city. More than 3,500 Lewisville residents and Denton County Fresh Water Supply District #1 were impacted. 

“The cold weather froze and popped those lines,” said Rouse. “With all the leaks, we were trying to stop the bleeding that was basically the biggest reason for the loss of pressure.”  

Lewisville Environmental Controls Services Manager Katelyn Hearon said the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality mandated the boil-water notice because a drop in pressure could mean a backflow issue.

Pressure changes happen when a water line is broken, meaning dirt could be sucked into the city's water supply. 

Hearon’s lab is responsible for testing the city’s water for pathogenic bacteria like coliform. These organisms are common and will not likely cause illness. 

However, their presence in drinking water indicates that disease-causing organisms could also be there. 

“Anything that can survive in your gut is what we’re looking for. That’s what will make you sick,” said Hearon.  

So when pipes are damaged a boil-water order is put in place. Only after water samples are tested can the order be lifted.   

Hearon said the boil notice was precautionary and thankfully her lab didn’t find harmful bacteria in samples of the city’s water, resulting in the boil-water notice being lifted Monday. But other Texas cities still have boil orders in place as of Tuesday morning.

Both Hearon and Rouse say they’re proud to know their work keeps their community safe.

“It is something that people don’t realize how much there is behind the scenes to protect them,” said Hearon. “I think all of our public services this last week – they all had their own things going on at home, but still went above and beyond coming in here to make sure that we were taking care of the citizens of Lewisville and it was really incredible to see.” 

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