exTRA by the Trinity River Authority of Texas

The San Jacinto River Authority Groundwater Reduction Plan Division, located at 11998 Pine Valley Drive, Conroe, is supplying Montgomery County with potable water amid the winter storms. As of around 2 p.m. Feb. 18, the entity has supplied four trucks so far and expects an additional six to 10 today, said Heather Ramsey Cook, director of communications and public affairs. The trucks carry 6,500-7,500 gallons.

Folks in the town of Marlin, Texas, have had it tougher than most, but it looks like they may be among the first to recover. How? Teamwork. Marlin was hit early and hit hard by the arctic blast that has caused utility disruptions throughout Texas. Folks there got the double whammy of losing their water and power almost at the same time. They have struggled ever since.

First Texans lost their power. Now, they’re losing their potable water. After enduring multiple days of freezing temperatures, dripping faucets to prevent frozen pipes from bursting, cities across the state warned residents on Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low and may be unsafe to drink.

Grand Prairie is putting social media rumors to rest as officials announced that the city has no intention to turn off water systems, but is asking residents to conserve water. Grand Prairie’s largest water provider, Dallas Water Utilities, is bringing additional resources online to ensure customer demand is met, according to the city. 

As millions across Texas battle power outages and freezing temperatures during the massive winter storm, one element has proved especially problematic -- water.

As frigid winter weather continued on throughout the day on Thursday, Austin Water said it did not know when it would be able to provide water to the entire city. In a string of social media posts, Austin Water said it is facing "significant challenges" in restoring water service.

As if this week didn’t have enough challenges already with power outages, icy streets and other winter weather woes, now many people in the San Antonio area have been asked to boil their water.

Downtown guests resorted to collecting San Antonio River water to help with utility issues plaguing Texas in the wake of winter weather. Photos shared with MySA.com show people using the famed waterway to fill trash cans and other containers on Wednesday night.

San Antonio Water System customers should boil their water before drinking it until further notice. That recommendation came from SAWS President and CEO Robert Puente during Wednesday’s emergency city council meeting. Puente said the boil water notice comes out of “an abundance of caution” due to low water pressure and said that only water used for drinking needed to be boiled. 

Bitter cold conditions caused by a historic winter storm continued Wednesday across Montgomery County as lack of water and low water pressure due to busted pipes have now become the bigger concerns over loss of power.

Power outages and broken pipes across the state of Texas are leading to water quality concerns for many municipalities. Millions of people across the state are under a boil water notice. A Boil Water Notice means residents should boil their water prior to consumption (e.g., washing hands/face, brushing teeth, drinking, etc). Children, seniors, and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria, and all customers should follow these directions).

Due to the extreme weather conditions and the number of water main breaks and leaks, our system has become overwhelmed and our tank levels and pressure levels have reached the point where the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has required the system to notify all City of Livingston water customers to boil their water prior to consumption.