Millions of residents of the city of Houston, Texas (United States), had to boil their water before drinking it, due to a power outage at sewage treatment plants which also led to the closure schools, authorities informed on Monday. “A boil water advisory has been issued by the City of Houston. All residents must boil water before drinking, cooking, washing or brushing their teeth, “warned the metropolis in the south of the United States on Sunday evening.
Closure of schools and offices
With more than 2 million inhabitants, Houston is the fourth largest city in the country and hosts companies in the fields of energy, aeronautics and health. This is due to a drop in water pressure that fell below the level required by the Texas Department of Environmental Quality (TCEQ) due to a power outage that affected three stations. sewage treatment plant, according to the city and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The cause of the outage and its duration were still unknown on Monday and are under investigation. Local authorities also announced the closure of schools and offices on Monday.
According to the office of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, water that is safe to drink should be sampled and tested by the TCEQ to determine if the boil-water recommendation could be lifted Monday night or Tuesday morning. In February 2021, an unprecedented cold snap caused pipes to burst, depriving much of Texas and its nearly 30 million residents of drinking water for several days.
