The water boil notice that prompted the closure of five Richardson ISD schools on Thursday has been lifted.
According to city officials, the "samples tested overnight show public water supply is safe for human consumption with no concerns for contamination." 17,000 residents in the southwestern part of the city are now able to safely drink water.
A malfunction at a water tower caused a significant drop in water pressure, prompting the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to issue the notice Thursday.
As a result, five schools in the city's school district were closed to ensure the safety of students and staff. Those schools reopened Friday.
The affected schools include Arapaho Classical Magnet, Dover Elementary, Heights Elementary, Richardson West Junior High, and Richardson High School.
The water distribution center at Heights Recreation Center opened to provide clean water to residents on Thursday and Friday. Operations there have now ended.
City officials say the problem at the Holly Water Tower started on Wednesday when the water pressure dropped to zero. Equipment designed to detect that problem failed to notify the operators as the problem was developing, and the personnel assigned to monitor also did not notice the issue for approximately five minutes.
The city was required to send water samples to a lab for testing to make sure they meet state quality standards. Those test results came back Friday afternoon.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube