MERKEL, Texas — UPDATE (12:24 p.m. April 3): The boil water notice issued by the City of Merkel Monday is no longer in effect.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Merkel residents will not be required to boil water before consumption.
A notice from the City said, "Our system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore water service, adequate pressure, disinfectant levels, and /or bacteriological quality and has provided TCEQ with testing results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling as of April 3, 2024."
UPDATE (9:15 a.m. April 3): City of Merkel residents remain under a boil water notice, as of Wednesday morning, but that could be lifted as soon as Wednesday afternoon.
"We tested [the water] yesterday and are expecting results by noon today," City Manager Brian Weaver said Wednesday.
Weaver said the City will update residents when it is safe to rescind the notice.
ORIGINAL STORY (April 1): A boil water notice has been issued by the City of Merkel after damage to a six-inch water main caused water pressure in the city's water system to drop below allowable standards.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires the Merkel public water system to notify all customers to boil water before consumption - washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc. Children, senior citizens and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria and all customers should follow these directions.
To kill all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking and ice making should be boiled and cooled before using for drinking water or human consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.
In place of boiling, citizens can purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source for drinking water or human consumption.
When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the Merkel public water system will notify customers the water is safe for drinking water or human consumption. Once the boil water notice is lifted, the public water system will issue a notice to customers that rescinds the boil water notice.
Citizens are asked to share this information with all the other people who drink City of Merkel water, especially those who may not have received this notice directly (for example, people in apartments, nursing homes, schools and businesses).
Anyone with concerns can contact City Manager Brian Weaver at 325-928-4911 or the TCEQ at 512-239-4691.