ARLINGTON UPDATE, 48 hour estimate
UPDATE at 6:58 p.m.: City of Arlington, TX – Water Utilities continues working to produce enough tap water to meet usage demands, with restoration of system pressure expected in approximately 48 hours. As water service is restored, please continue to boil water for consumption until the boil water alert is lifted. FAQ ➡️ ow.ly/iyf450DDdnb
UPDATE at 4:32 p.m.: Arlington Water Utilities continues efforts to restore water pressure and service to homes and businesses. Officials now estimate it will take approximately 48 hours for the water distribution system to return to normal pressure levels. As pressure is restored, safety tests will be conducted to determine when the boil alert for the city can be lifted. Please continue to boil water for consumption until the alert has been lifted.
According to Arlington Water Utilities Director Craig M. Cummings, the City of Arlington began experiencing water demands of almost twice the normal usage within the past 24 hours. At about 10 a.m., officials saw an even larger surge in demand that caused water pressure in the system to fall dramatically and some homes to lose pressure.
“What we have seen resembles the pressure drop we would see with a very large main break. However, after investigating throughout the city, we believe the dramatic drop in pressure was due to the increased demand we were already seeing and many small to medium breaks on private water lines due to weather conditions,” Cummings said.
If you have a water line break at your house or business, please call 9-1-1 so that the issue can be recorded and corrected as quickly as possible.
The boil water alert is a precaution required by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. No indication that water quality has been compromised has been found, Cummings said.
Arlington Water Utilities crews have responded more than 100 calls for service in the past 24 hours, with many of those calls coming from customers asking that water to busted pipes be turned off at the curb. In addition, crews have repaired about a half dozen water main breaks on city-owned infrastructure during that time.
To help meet demand, Arlington Water Utilities had already began producing water at its second water treatment plan, the John F. Kubala Water Treatment Plant, on Wednesday morning. The Kubala plant and the City’s Pierce-Burch Water Treatment Plant are both treating water currently.
Got Water? Arlington Residents Under Boil Water Notice
Residents across Texas are getting text messages from friends and family out of state that read like this: got power? Got water? For some the answer depends on the time of day, whereas others haven’t has power since Sunday or Monday.
Due to unprecedented demand and a possible major water main break, some Arlington Water Utilities customers may be without water service. For those with water, pressure may be reduced and tap water must be boiled prior to consumption. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires that a boil water notice be issued because of a recent pressure drop in the distributions system for the City Arlington.
This order advises all customers to boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions.
Arlington Water Utilities is working to restore water pressure in the distribution system.
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be consumed with boiling or otherwise treating.
Follow the guidelines below for ensuring your water is safe for consumption:
- Boil water to a vigorous rolling boil for five minutes then cool completely prior to using.
- In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water. (which may require you to drive on icy roads, find an open store, and finding an open store with water in stock)
Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses). You can do this by posting this notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
Periodic updates will be provided as the situation changes, but if you have questions regarding this matter you may contact Arlington Water Utilities Department at 817-275-5931.
If you wish to contact the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, call (512) 239-1000.
Arlington Trash
Republic Services will NOT be operating Thursday, Feb. 18 for trash and recycling pickup due to inclement weather. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Any make-up collections will resume as soon as weather permits. The City will post updates on our website and social media pages. We appreciate your patience.
