Around 2.3 million residents in Houston, Texas have been told to boil their water until at least Monday night or Tuesday morning, according to ABC13, thanks to a power outage that might have contaminated a water treatment plant.
This means everyone needs to boil their water for 2–3 minutes "before drinking, cooking, bathing, and brushing your teeth," says a notice issued by the City of Houston (see below). It also means avoiding ice from automatic machines and cold water from refrigerator lines. And for thousands of kids living in Houston, it means no (public) school, as they've been shut down for the day.
From ABC13:
On Sunday at 10:30 a.m., the water pressure dropped below the city's required minimum of 20 PSI due to a power outage at the East Water Purification Plant, according to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. …
Houston Water Director Yvonne Williams Forrest said the city's pressure system was never at zero, just below the regulatory limit. That pressure is important because it prevents anything from infiltrating the water system. …
The concern over the water pressure is that when it dips below a certain point, that's when contaminants could be introduced. …
What happens next? City officials said they are testing the water across the city, collecting samples that will be submitted to the state. They are now at a City of Houston lab and must be observed and tested.
These samples have to sit for 18 hours to see if anything grows. The hope is that there will be an all clear by 3 a.m.
