Effective Feb. 21, residents in the city of Houston no longer need to boil water for consumption purposes, the city announced.

Water quality testing from 43 sites around the city were confirmed by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality as meeting safety standards.

The boil notice took effect Feb. 17 amid power outages and falling water pressure during the freezing weather.

"The historic freezing temperatures in Houston last week caused water pressure to drop throughout the city. I appreciate everyone's patience as Houston water crews worked nonstop to restore the pressure and gain the TCEQ's approval to lift the boil water notice," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a news release.

During the notice, city officials distributed over 1 million bottles of water, according to the release.


Before using tap water, residents are advised to flush their water system by running cold-water faucets for at least one minute, cleaning automatic ice makers by making and discarding several batches of ice, and running water softeners through a regeneration cycle.