City of Bellaire lifts boil-water notice

Effective Feb. 21, the city of Bellaire is no longer requiring residents to boil water after the city's water supply met Texas Commission on Environmental Quality standards for consumption.

The boil-water notice went into effect Feb. 16 as the city of Houston, which supplies half of Bellaire's water supply, experienced drops in pressure amid the freeze. The city of Houston's boil-water notice was expected to remain in place until at least Feb. 22.

According to an announcement from Bellaire, its public water system has taken the necessary actions to restore the quality of the water.

Before using the water, the city advises the following steps be taken:

• If you have turned off your water either at the shutoff valve or at the meter, make sure you turn it back on.
• Turn on both the hot and cold water at each faucet (including showers and bathtubs) to remove any air trapped in the lines. You should run the water for at least five minutes.
• If the water is cloudy or discolored, run water in the faucet until it is clear. Cloudy or discolored water is common due to the disturbance of the water lines.
• If you have a water dispenser in your refrigerator, run water through it until it is clear or change the filter.
• Ice cubes created by automatic ice dispensers should be emptied and run through a 24-hour cycle, discarding the ice to assure the icemaker water supply line has been cleared.
• Run your dishwasher empty for a full cycle.
• Discard any water used in humidifiers, CPAP machines, or any other electric devices that have a water reservoir and rinse the device with clean water.
• Flush every toilet.
• Change any in-line water filters you may have in your house.