GALVESTON, TX – The City of Galveston has lifted the boil water notice for all residents and businesses located in the City of Galveston, City of Jamaica Beach, and on Pelican Island. Additional samples taken yesterday have been tested; they meet all State and Federal standards for potable drinking water.
All residents and business owners are instructed to flush their own water lines by turning on all indoor and outdoor faucets, both hot and cold taps, and allowing water to run for several minutes. Similarly, citizens are advised to discard several trays of ice cubes from automatic icemakers.
On Monday the city was notified that a drinking water sample taken during routine sampling tested positive for Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Following Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) mandated procedures, the city conducted a resampling in that area yesterday. Of the three subsequent samples taken, one tested positive for indicator bacteria; not E. coli. The city issued a boil water notice in accordance with State law to ensure the public’s health and welfare.
The City of Galveston tests drinking water samples from 32 sites twice a month. It is highly irregular for samples to fail and even more rare for a sample to test positive for E. coli bacteria. For more information please contact the City of Galveston’s Public Works Department at (409) 797-3630.