Due to recent severe weather impacts on Victoria’s public water system, the City of Victoria is advising all residents to boil water prior to consumption.

Water customers should follow below precautionary boil-water instructions. This boil water notice is unrelated to rumors that began yesterday claiming the City was shutting off residents’ water. Residents who lost water service before today’s interruptions in supply may have been due to residential pipes freezing over.

Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, so to ensure the 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.

Water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.

This information should be shared with all other community members who may drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools, and businesses).

Leaks can be reported online at www.victoriatx.gov/295/Utility-Billing-Office or by calling Public Works’ water department at 361-485-3381.

In addition, officials ask that residents turn off their faucets during this time so the water system can regain the pressure and water volumes necessary to increase the water supply and maintain adequate volumes and rescind the water notice.

“The City’s water plant remains fully operational and producing water, but residents are using more water than the system can produce,” said Ken Gill, director of Public Works. “We ask Victoria water customers to please follow boil-water instructions, but also to please turn off their water faucets to help with this system mitigation effort.”

When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the public water system officials will notify customers that the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption purposes.

Victoria City/County officials, including the mayor and judge, emergency response officials, and area hospitals, continue to work together to inform the community about the winter storm and its impacts in Victoria. Many power outages across the state are part of ERCOT’s effort to conserve statewide energy. Officials remind residents to remain vigilant, stay off the roads until weather conditions are safer to drive in, and use only necessary energy. For further updates, visit www.victoriatx.gov or follow the City on Facebook at City of Victoria, Texas - Government.

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