In the event you are issued a Boil Water Notice:
Why am I being issued a Boil Water Notice?
It’s important to know that a Boil Water Notice (BWN) is issued to specific addresses as a precautionary measure and does not indicate that there is anything wrong with the potable water supply. They are issued when an unexpected condition has caused a potential for biological contamination of water in a public water system. In our service area, the most common reason for a BWN to be issued is because of a main water line break that needs to be repaired. After water service is restored (after we make a repair), we need to collect a sample of the water and send it to a lab for testing to confirm it is not contaminated.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the state agency responsible for the regulation of public water supplies in Texas and they require water systems to issue a BWN under certain conditions. These conditions are:
- Water quality that does not meet TCEQ regulations;
- Failure to keep adequate records of water quality; or
- Loss of pressure for extended periods of time in the piping system, which delivers water to your location.
- It is important to understand that a BWN is issued as a precaution to alert our water customers of the possibility of unsafe water and is issued with your welfare in mind.
How might I be notified of or find out about a Boil Water Notice in my area?
Boil Water Notices are highly localized incidences and are very rarely (if ever) issued service-area wide. We have valves throughout our system that we can open and close to contain a leak or potential contamination. We make every attempt to notify customers impacted by a BWN through the following methods when available or as applicable:
- E-mail sent out to impacted customers
- Voice Recorded Message sent out to impacted customers
- Voice Recording on our main office answering service
- LMUD Personnel informed to answer individual inquiries
- Publication by local media outlets or City e-blasts
The same methods are used to notify customers of the end of a BWN (a “rescind notice” will be sent).
What to do in the event of a Boil Water Notice
If you are made aware that you are under a Boil Water Notice, it is suggested that any tap water that may be consumed (for drinking, making ice, brushing teeth, washing raw foods, providing water for pets, etc.) should be boiled for two minutes after a vigorous, rolling boil is achieved to ensure it is free from bacteriological contaminants then cooled before using. Throw out any water from the BWN period that may be stored (ice, drinks made with tap water, baby formula, etc.). In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. Water for baths/showers, washing dishes, laundry, etc. may continue to be used without boiling. Only in the event of a “Do Not Use” Notice should tap water be avoided for all purposes.
Tips for boiling water:
- Fill a pot with water.
- Heat the water until bubbles come from the bottom of the pot to the top.
- Once the water reaches a rolling boil, let it boil for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat source and let the water cool
- Pour the water into a clean container with a cover for storage.
Suggestions for different types of water use:
- Preparing and cooking food
- Wash all fruits and vegetables with boiled water that has cooled or with bottled water.
- Bring water to a rolling boil for 2 minutes before adding food to cook.
- Use boiled water when preparing drinks, such as coffee, tea, and lemonade
- Wash food preparation surfaces with boiled water.
- Feeding babies and using formula
- Use ready-to-use baby formula, if possible.
- Prepare powdered or concentrated baby formula with bottled water. Use boiled water if you do not have bottled water. Disinfect water for baby formula if you cannot boil your water.
- Wash and sterilize bottles and nipples before use.
- If you cannot sterilize bottles, try to use single-serve, ready-to-feed bottles.
- Ice making
- Do not use ice from ice trays, ice dispensers, or ice makers.
- Throw out all ice made with tap water.
- Make new ice with boiled or bottled water.
- Bathing and showering
- Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering.
- Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
- Brushing teeth
- Brush teeth with boiled or bottled water. Do not use untreated tap water.
- Washing dishes
- Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees or if the dishwasher has a sanitizing cycle.
- To wash dishes by hand:
- Wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water.
- In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water.
- Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute.
- Let the dishes air dry completely.
- Laundry
- It is safe to do laundry as usual.
- Pets
- Pets can get some of the same diseases as people. It is a good idea to give them boiled water that has been cooled too.
- Water filters
- Boil tap water even if it is filtered. Most kitchen and other household water filters typically do not remove bacteria or viruses.
What do I need to do when the notice has been rescinded?
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, LMUD will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. If there was no contamination, you do not need to take any steps; just use your water as normal. In the unlikely event lab results show there was a contamination or if you choose to do so, you may follow these steps to flush your household pipes and water appliances prior to using for drinking or cooking. Flushing simply means letting the water run to ensure that there is fresh water flowing through your pipes. The following guidelines can be used for flushing:
- Run all cold water faucets in your home for one minute
- To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard
- Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle
- Replace water filters
Preventative Measures by LMUD
Lakeway Municipal Utility District’s (LMUD) water quality monitoring and record keeping systems are redundant systems that guard against the first two of the three conditions instated by TCEQ and therefore it is very unlikely that the first two conditions will occur, however still possible. The third condition is more common, such as when we are performing scheduled maintenance to replace piping and or equipment and create the possibility of contaminants getting into our supply.
The third condition for a BWN may also be met if our water tanks loose adequate pressure. Our water storage tanks normally maintain water levels that will ensure adequate pressure throughout the system, unfortunately, it is possible for these tanks to occasionally drop to low levels or even drain completely when there are problems such as large water main leaks, pump failures, lightning storms, etc. Normally, when these things happen, an LMUD employee is able to correct the problem before system pressure is lost, but occasionally there is a loss of pressure in the system, requiring us to issue at BWN.
When a BWN is issued, we gather samples immediately from the affected area and take them to the Texas Department of State Health Services laboratory for analysis. This test typically takes twenty-four hours to complete and must be started during normal working hours. As soon as we get the results, we notify affected customers that the water has been found safe to drink.
LMUD strives to provide safe water at adequate pressures at all times, however, occasionally, problems can occur.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact LMUD at (512) 261-6222 or [email protected].