Official Statement:
As a result of the extreme weather conditions, a city-wide boil water notice has been issued due to power loss at The Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, Austin Water’s largest water treatment facility, and drops in water pressures below minimum standards.
We worked with Austin Energy to quickly assess our system and restore power and are in the process of bringing Ullrich Water Treatment Plant back online.
Any water recovered from plumbing systems should be boiled before drinking or cooking with it following the guidelines at www.austintexas.gov/page/boil-water-notice-and-faqs
For more information and updates, stay posted to local news, city social media, or visit us online at www.austinwater.org.
To report a water or wastewater emergency, report a leak or main break, fill out the Leak Report Web Form at https://www.austintexas.gov/page/austin-water-issue-report-form
Virtual News Conference
- Virtual Press Conference – February 18, 2021 – Virtual/Online News Conference details to follow.
Official Notice Language
A city-wide boil water notice has been issued due to power loss at The Ullrich Water Treatment Plant, Austin Water’s largest water treatment facility, and drops in water pressures below minimum standards. Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required Austin Water to notify 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.
To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice making should be boiled and cooled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, Austin Water 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Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, Austin Water will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
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.
