Dozens of boil-water notices have been issued across Harris County and other parts of the Houston area as Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts continue.

What’s happening?

With continued power outages for over 1.1 million CenterPoint Energy customers in the Greater Houston area, Harris County Public Health announced 70 boil-water notices countywide, Precinct 3 Commissioner Tom Ramsey said in a July 10 Facebook post.

HCPH’s map shows many of the boil-water notices issued from municipal utility districts are in Precinct 3.

What it means


According to a Facebook post from HCPH, residents under boil-water notices should bring tap water to a rolling boil for 1-2 minutes before cooling and placing it into a clean container. This includes:
  • Drinking water for humans and pets
  • Water for food preparation
  • When residents are brushing their teeth
Those unable to boil water should disinfect:
  • Clear water by adding 1/8 teaspoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water, mixing well and waiting 30 minutes before consuming
  • Cloudy water by filtering water using a clean cloth and adding 1/4 teaspoon of unscented bleach per gallon of water, mixing well, and waiting 30 minutes before consuming
Additionally, HCPH advises residents to not swallow any water when bathing and to add unscented bleach to water when washing dishes by hand, according to the post.

Zooming out

Beyond Harris County, the Texas Office of Public Utility Counsel announced boil-water notices for several Montgomery County neighborhoods in a July 10 Twitter post. Neighborhoods include:
  • Hulon Lakes
  • Rolling Forest
  • Oakwood
  • Decker Hills
  • Crystal Springs
Additionally, due to a line break and backup generator issues, the city of Missouri City issued boil-water notices July 11 for Palmer Plantation No. 1 and No. 2 MUDs as well as MUD No. 49, according to a Facebook post by Missouri City.

What’s next?
<


Residents under notices should continue to boil water until the orders are lifted.

To see Harris County updates, click here.