RICHARDSON, Texas — The City of Richardson has lifted a Boil Water Notice for residents in the southwest region of the city, indicating the water is now safe to drink after an equipment malfunction Wednesday.
In a statement issued Friday, the city said the public water system took the necessary actions to restore water quality, and provided TCEQ with laboratory test results showing the water no longer requires boiling as of Friday.
"I would like to thank the community for its support, patience, and understanding on behalf of our water crews and all the additional teams brought in to assist in responding to this incident," said Richardson City Manager Don Magner in a statement. "We are committed to conducting a thorough after action review to identify any improvements that will help us avoid and prevent similar issues in the future."
As the notice is lifted, the city says the operations of the water distribution center have ended.
Magner previously said they received complaints about water pressure from residents and other users Wednesday afternoon and discovered a water tower between Mimosa Drive and Dogwood Drive had completely emptied despite sensors reporting water levels in the tower of about 10 feet.
"Because of that misinformation, we weren't able to activate our tanks to begin to refill the water to keep that pressure," Magner said. "The pressure was completely lost."
The city said the water pressure was at zero for about five minutes before the issue was identified and the pumps were restarted.
Magner said he doesn't believe there was any immediate threat to anyone who drank the water in the affected area before the boil water notice was issued.
He said the city hasn't had a similar sensor malfunction before and he's unsure when it was last tested.
The city said this notice affected about 17,000 customers, including residential areas, schools and businesses.
On Wednesday, Richardson ISD decided to close the following five campuses on Thursday:
- Arapaho Classical Magnet
- Dover Elementary School
- Heights Elementary School
- Richardson West Junior High
- Richardson High School
Richardson ISD announced on Thursday that it would reopen the campuses on Friday, even without drinking water.
According to a letter to parents, water fountains and bottle refill stations at the schools will be covered and may not be used by students. The campuses have been stocked with water bottles and the cafeteria staff will be serving cold meals that don't require water to prepare, rinse or clean up.
“We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support during this incident, and I would like to thank the community for its patience and understanding as we continue work to bring our water service back to normal,” said Magner. “If there is a silver lining it is this incident has brought neighbors even closer together. I thank our local news partners and the community for their help in spreading the word quickly and hope we will soon be able to lift the boil water notice so people can return to their normal routines as soon as possible.”