AUSTIN, Texas — For the first time since last Thursday, an area of North Austin will be able to use water safely.
Officials lifted a boil water notice that had been in effect in the Wells Branch area, five days after a contractor broke a water line in the area.
Neighbors in the community say it’s been a rough week under the boil advisory.
“When this happens, they usually have it fixed in two days or in the first 12 hours. But it’s been four or five days,” Brittany Peiffer said.
Peiffer lives at the Church Hill Crossing apartments nearby. She said the weather has been too hot, and she feels for the people with pets and kids.
“I wake up and I just want to drink fresh water in the morning, and I can't," Peiffer said . "I had to boil it, and it tastes like metal. Once it's boiled, it tastes like metal and sulfur and I don't like it. It’s gross."
Perla Ibarra lives at the Milan Apartments with her 6-year-old son, Lennon. The complex is next to where the water pipe had burst.
“It was a big ordeal, and the street was closed and everything. But then after, it was repaired,” Ibarra said. “They sent us out an email that we were under the advisory.”
Ibarra said they had no water and had to resort to buying bottled water in bulk immediately after the pipe burst. She said even with the water boil advisory, they've been using it for everything and it's been inconvenient.
“I mean, I did have to buy more bottled water. We showered with bottled water, I cook – still cooking with bottled water and just trying to minimize the use of the faucet water,” Ibarra said.
Ibarra said the entire ordeal caused her to spend $50 more than she usually does on water.
The Wells Branch community previously failed two rounds of water sampling tests, which is why it took so long for the advisory to be lifted.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), which conducted the test, eventually determined that the water was no longer a health risk.
Here are some tips on what you should do after a boil advisory is lifted to make sure your water is good to go:
- Let all cold water faucets run in your home for one minute
- Flush automatic ice makers by making three batches of ice and then discard it
- Make sure to replace your water filters
