Leander extends boil water notice through at least Friday

Boiling water on stove

LEANDER, Texas (Talk1370.com) -- A weekend boil water notice for much of the city of Leander will continue through at least Friday, officials said.

The boil water notice was issued over the weekend after water pressure dropped due to a Friday morning power failure at the Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant.

In addition to boiling water, residents are asked to cease or restrict all outdoor watering this week to give the system a chance to recover.

Leander boil water notice

"Peak water demands in the summer are largely caused by outdoor watering," Public Information Officer Mike Neu said in a statement. "If affected customers can stop irrigation over the next few days, and all residents can limit outdoor watering, our water system will recover much faster."

City crews will begin flushing out the affected water lines in phases starting Monday, with the first phase of sampling and testing beginning Tuesday. Residents may see city workers releasing water from hydrants and valves around the city during the flushing process, which is necessary to clear the lines of any air or debris.

Officials stress that while Saturday's boil water notice is a serious precaution for customers, the likelihood of contamination is low with water system recovery efforts now underway.

"Saturday's boil water notice was prompted by a sharp drop in water system pressures, but we believe the likelihood of contamination is low," Neu said. "Boil water notices are often triggered by water line breaks, floods or other infiltration disruptions, which didn't occur in this case. But it's still important for customers to follow CDC water consumption guidance during this notice."

Here are some recommendations while under a boil water notice:

  • Use only bottled or boiled water for drinking, to prepare and cook food, and to brush teeth
  • If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute, then allow it to cool before use. Tap water should be boiled even if filtered
  • Handwashing with tap water and soap is OK. Be sure to scrub with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and rinse well under running water. Otherwise, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
  • Bathing and showering is OK, just be careful not to swallow any water. Use caution when bathing babies and young children
  • During the coronavirus pandemic, keeping hands clean is especially important to help prevent the virus from spreading. More information is available on the CDC website

The Sandy Creek Water Treatment Plant is one of two treatment facilities that serves Leander water customers. Other parts of the city receive treated water from a plant managed in partnership by the cities of Leander, Cedar Park and Round Rock under the Brushy Creek Regional Utility Authority.

Leander customers are consuming an average of 12-15 million gallons of treated water per day in July, with 8-10 million gallons from Sandy Creek and 4-5 million gallons from BCRUA.