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Part of Harris County under boil water notice
A boil water advisory is in effect for part of Harris County after a water line break. FOX 26's Damali Keith spoke with residents who are impacted by the advisory.
HOUSTON - A boil water notice has been issued for the Harris County UD 16 area, officials say.
Inframark water company says as crews were working on a fire hydrant yesterday afternoon an underground valve broke, causing the water pressure to slowly decrease until the water flow stopped altogether.
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"You turn it on, and you just have a little trickle," says resident Robert Battis.
Turn on the faucet now and water does flow but according to Inframark, residents shouldn't use what's coming out because there are potentially harmful bacteria in it after a 16-inch water line break that Inframark is working to fix. The problem is affecting those in Utility District No. 16 for a second day now.
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So how have they been cooking, bathing, and brushing their teeth? "Boiling water, putting it in the sink, bathing that way," answers Latonya Battis.
"I'm barbecuing for the church, and I'm trying to get meat done, and I can't wash the meat, and I couldn't use the bathroom, wash my hands or anything. So we had to go buy water," her husband Mr. Battis explains.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required Inframark to issue the boil water notice to customers in the Harris County Utility District 16. That means before using water from the tap residents here should bring water to a rolling boil for two minutes before drinking it, bathing with it, brushing their teeth, cooking, and making ice, but they can use store-bought water instead
About 2,000 homes in North Harris County are affected and when you consider several people in each house that number balloons even higher. The Battis family for instance runs a home daycare. They're trying to care for the children even with water issues.
"This is really an inconvenience," says Mr. Battis.
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What you need to know about boil water notices
Is it safe to shower when there's a boil water notice? Dr. Michelle Udayamurthy, with Kelsey-Seybold, explains what you can and can't do while under a boil water notice.
In lieu of boiling, individuals may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
"I bought jugs of water, and then we had the refillable jugs, the real big ones," Mrs. Battis explains.
Inframark says they were waiting for a part to repair the problem, which I'm told has been obtained, and the water line break is currently being fixed, and the water should be restored tonight.
Once the boil water notice is no longer in effect, the public water system will issue a notice to customers when they rescind the boil water notice in a manner similar to this notice.
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Please share this information with all the other people who drink this water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Inframark, the operator for Harris County UD 16, at our 24-hour Customer Service Line (281) 398-8211.