A major water line break early Wednesday morning is to blame for a boil water notice issued for customers of Jefferson County Water Control District 10.
General Manager Tommy McDonald said the break, which was repaired in about an hour, caused water levels to drop significantly. The break likely was caused by dry soil which, when it shifts, can cause pipes to pull apart or break. To ensure enough water pressure for fighting any potential fires, the water plant had to ramp up production, which caused an increase in turbidity.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has a requirement for water turbidity, or the relative clarity of the water, that necessitates a boil water notice should that parameter no longer be met.
The notice comes after several cities served by the Brazosport Water Authority had to discontinue any use of water that came from the plant because of the discovery of a brain-eating amoeba found in the water supply, which led to some community concern after the Jefferson County WCID issued its boil water notice.
>>Related: Purging Brazosport water system of brain-eating microbe to take 60 days
But McDonald assured residents that the District’s notice has nothing to do with any amoeba.
“Customers just need to boil the water for two minutes and then they can drink it and/or they’re fine to bathe or take a shower in it,” he said after noting that the plant is still continuing adequate chlorine disinfection. Water customers in the Brazosport case could have no contact with the water.
McDonald said he hopes the turbidity issue will be resolved by Friday or Saturday. After the plant believes the situation is under control, it will work with the TCEQ to run bacteria samples throughout the district before determining the water is again safe to drink.
Water Control District 10 serves about 5,500 residents in an area between Nederland and Beaumont.
