UPDATED: Boil water notice issued for Waelder lifted Tuesday, Jan. 23

A boil water notice for the city of Waelder’s public water system was lifted Tuesday, Jan. 23.

Waelder residents were notified Sunday, Jan. 21, they would be under a required boil water notice from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) after the failure of both city water wells over the weekend.

Citizens were advised to boil all water taken from city sources prior to consumption, which includes washing hands/face, brushing teeth and drinking. Children, seniors and persons with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria.

The city advised that one water well was working as of 9 a.m. Monday, Jan. 22, but the boil water notice was still in effect as of 2 p.m. Monday. The city was providing free non-potable water to citizens at the Waelder Community Center parking lot. That water is not for drinking, cooking or cleaning, but for non-potable uses such as flushing toilets. Bottled drinking water was also being made available at the Waelder Community Center.
HEB donated and provided a truckload of pallets of bottled drinking water Monday evening, Jan. 22, for residents to use.

Finally, on Tuesday, Jan. 23, the city announced the boil water notice had been lifted by TCEQ.

“The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of January 23, 2024,” the city announced.

Any additional information or questions regarding city water supplies can be directed to the City of Waelder, City Water and Wastewater Superintendent Abelardo Ibarra at 830-263-8661. If a customer, individual, or employee wishes to contact the TCEQ executive director, please call (512) 239-4691.