Customers in Affected Area No Longer Need to Boil Water Before Consumption
The City of Denton has lifted the Boil Water Notice issued Thursday, Oct. 17. Residents in the affected area – generally south of IH35, north of Highland Park Road, west of Kendolph Drive, and east of Western Boulevard – no longer need to boil water before consumption, official test results confirmed Friday afternoon.
At 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, the City of Denton was notified by University of North Texas staff that an irrigation pump was inadvertently connected from a stormwater pond to the potable water distribution system. At approximately 4 p.m., City Utilities staff began closing water distribution system valves to isolate the impacted area.
City of Denton Municipal Laboratory staff mobilized immediately and collected water samples in the affected area to confirm water quality meets regulatory standards. Preliminary results on Friday morning showed no bacteriological growth. Results received at approximately 12:57 p.m. Friday confirmed no harmful bacteria are present in the drinking water supply.
The City received authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to rescind the Boil Water Notice at 4 p.m. Friday.
Testing was also done in areas not within the notice area. The City found there was adequate disinfectant in the distribution system to prevent harmful bacteriological growth, and potential contamination was unlikely to affect any customers in locations outside the notice area.
For general information, please contact the City of Denton Utilities at (940) 349-7000.
Please share this information with people who may drink water in the affected area, especially those who may not have received this notice. You can do this by posting the attached notice in a public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Map of previously affected area:
Contact: Ryan Adams, (940) 349-8565, Ryan.Adams@cityofdenton.com
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What steps do I need to take now that the boil water notice has been rescinded?
You should flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains, etc. prior to using for drinking or cooking. Flushing simply means letting the water run to ensure that no contaminated water remains in your pipes. Follow the following guidelines for flushing:
- Run all cold water faucets in your home for one minute
- To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard
- Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle
What is a boil water notice?
A boil water notice is a public statement advising people to boil their tap water before using it, typically in response to an event that has (or could have) introduced contaminants into the water distribution system. Such events include a large water main break, widespread loss of system pressure, or results of routine sample testing in the system. Although waterborne diseases are extremely rare, they can be serious. The risk is higher for infants, the elderly and persons with immune deficiency disorders. Denton Water Utilities issues boil-water notices even if the possibility of contamination is remote to safeguard the health of the community.
Why does Denton issue boil water notices?
As a precaution when contamination within the water system is suspected, Denton Water Utilities can request that customers boil their water or use bottled water until water sample lab test results become available.