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By Chloe Mayer
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Some Texans have been warned that their water is not safe to drink after a weather-related "mechanical failure" at a processing facility.
Residents of Hays County were warned that "harmful bacteria and other microbes" may now be present in their water. They have been instructed to boil it before using it for drinking, cooking, or making ice.
The issue has been blamed on freezing temperatures, which affected equipment and led to a system failure, officials said. Affected customers must now boil their water until further notice, they added.
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The alert comes as Texas is suffering from a bitter Arctic blast as winter storms batter much of the U.S. Frigid temperatures and snowfall have seen travel plans thwarted, while various public events—such as Martin Luther King Day parades—were canceled in Houston.
On Monday, Texans were asked to avoid using large appliances like washing machines to conserve energy as the state's power grid struggled to cope with covering homes amid icy conditions. Other suggestions included lowering thermostats by a degree or two and turning off and unplugging nonessential lights and appliances, among others.
Hays County, which is part of the Austin-Round Rock metropolitan area, is home to more than 241,000 people according to a 2020 census, although it is unclear how many of these residents have been affected by the water issues.
Newsweek reached out to Hays County Water Control and Improvement District via email for comment.
The Hays County Water Control and Improvement District (No. 1 and No.2) first posted the water warning on its website on Monday.
Their statement initially, and incorrectly, blamed "a mechanical failure at the GBRA water plant," but their statement was later quietly updated on Tuesday to state that "a mechanical failure at the WTCPUA water plant" was responsible.
The updated warning read: "Due to freezing temperatures a mechanical failure at the WTCPUA water plant, they were unable maintain system pressure in Belterra Subdivision. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required our water systems Hays WCID 1 (PWS# TX1050137) and Hays WCID 2 (PWS# TX1050148) to notify customers of the need to boil their water.
"To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and making ice should be boiled and cooled prior to use. The water should be brought to a vigorous, rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
"In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source.
"When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice."
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Update 1/16/24 12:42 p.m. ET: This article was updated to include Tuesday's statement from Hays County Water Control and Improvement District.
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