Austin officials told the American-Statesman Thursday that the city's boil-water order could be lifted as soon as Sunday.
Austin Water Director Greg Meszaros said that Sunday is the "operating target" to lift the boil-water order, issued early Monday after debris and sediment that washed into the Highland Lakes from Hill Country flooding strained operations at the utility's water treatment plants. Bacteria, parasites and viruses could attach to those particles, experts said, though tests haven't revealed any such bacteria so far.
Meszaros and Austin Mayor Steve Adler first mentioned the Sunday goal at a news conference on Tuesday, though officials have been careful to couch that target by detailing the variables at play and the work required.
After the city's tap water failed state standards in tests late Tuesday because too many particles were found in the water, the city utility must follow state protocols to lift the notice.
Meszaros said the utility also must ensure the plant capacity is adequate — output remains about 1/3 of normal he said, but is slowly ratcheting up.
“We want to see the river water quality continue to improve,” he said, adding that Wednesday’s rains didn’t seem to downgrade river water quality.
The utility also is working to refill its tanks and reservoirs: The utility normally stores one day’s worth of drinking water to maintain pressure and keep up firefighting reserves.
“We drained down the bulk of that water and we’re at 50 percent storage now,” he said. “We want to get to at least 75 percent storage — and really closer to 100 percent. As we do that the system will continue to strengthen.”
He said the utility is in contact with Texas Commission on Environmental Quality officials about what the state needs to see before allowing the utility to lift its boil-water notice.
“We do bacteriological testing throughout the system every day, but they’ll want us do that in an enhanced way,” he said. He said he expects the state agency to tell the water utility today about its testing expectations.
“They’ll want us to demonstrate adequate chlorine residuals” — the amount of chlorine in the drinking water — “to be protective. I don’t anticipate that to be an issue.”
He said TCEQ officials also will require the water meets state turbidity standards — and perhaps even more stringent standards.
“We’re moving ahead gingerly,” said Meszaros. “The system is still fragile and we don’t want to push it too hard.”
TCEQ spokeswoman Andrea Morrow said TCEQ officials are providing technical and operational assistance at the city's Emergency Operations Center.
Agency rules require a water utility that has run afoul of state standards must correct the underlying problem and show that the water "does not pose an acute health risk"; flush and disinfect the affected area or entire distribution system; return to normal operating parameters (power restored, required pressure, no excessive turbidity, and at the required minimum disinfectant residual levels at all parts of the distribution system); collect bacteriological samples and obtain negative coliform results — coliform bacteria are a standard indicator for the sanitary quality of water and food.
Only then can the boil-water notice be lifted.