Texas city residents allowed to drink tap water again
ODESSA, Texas (AP) — Residents of the West Texas city of Odessa may again safely drink tap water without having to first boil it, the city announced Saturday.
The decision to lift the boil water order came after water samples sent for testing Friday were determined to be safe by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the city said.
“The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes,” according to a news release posted on social media.
The city said taps in 165,000 homes and businesses lost pressure or went completely dry after a 24-inch (61-centimeter) main broke Monday afternoon.
The water treatment plant was back online in the city about 330 miles (530 kilometers) west of Dallas by about 8 a.m. Wednesday. But workers conducted a “recharging” process, slowly adding water volume to the system to ensure there are no more leaks.
Temperatures reached or were near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) in Odessa daily this week as Texas and much of the U.S. faced extremely hot and humid conditions.
