The City of Rockport notified residents Thursday, Nov. 25, that they are no longer under a boil water notice that had been triggered the day before by a weather-related disruption.
Samples sent to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality determined that the community’s public water is safe for consumption, the Rockport Police confirmed by Facebook post.
“It’s 100% clear — everything passed,” said Ryan Picarazzi, the director of Public Works for the City of Rockport. “The water is safe to drink, and the city’s equipment has been repaired.” he said.
The Commission on Nov. 24 required the City of Rockport public water system to inform customers, individuals and employees to boil water before drinking it or consuming it.
The advisory followed heavy rains that swept through the area over the weekend, causing lightning to strike the City of Rockport Service Center water tower and interrupting power to the water system pumps, according to a Facebook post by the City of Rockport Police Department.
City public water systems must notify all customers of the necessity to boil water to destroy harmful bacteria or microbes even after utilities personnel have restored power to the pumps and water service to comply with the Commission’s rules.
On Nov. 25, the City of Rockport rescinded the notice, issuing the following statement:
“The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided the TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of Nov. 25, 2025.”
Picarazzi said some residents had concerns about the boil water notice since it was not sent out until the morning of Nov. 24.
According to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, customers of a community public water system must be notified within 24 hours that it is necessary to boil water before drinking, preparing food or washing.
The public works director said that the city worked with public water system officials in Aransas County to send out alerts informing the public about when water would be restored.
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Rockport rescinds boil water notice after TCEQ gives OK
Reporting by Katie Nickas, Corpus Christi Caller Times / Corpus Christi Caller Times
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