On September 13, 2023, the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District (MUD) 151 public water system, TX0790443, issued a boil water notice to inform customers, individuals, and employees that the water from its system required boiling prior to use for drinking or human consumption purposes. The District has since taken necessary actions to ensure the safety of its water and has provided the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) with laboratory test results that indicate the water no longer requires boiling prior to consumption as of today, September 14, 2023. Normal use may resume keeping in mind the District is still in Stage 1 of our drought contingency plan.
At 7:15 AM Tuesday morning a low storage tank level alarm was triggered and Inframark immediately sent a technician to investigate. It was discovered that an electrical fault caused a well pump to go offline resulting in both low storage tank levels and reduced pressure throughout the community. Within 2 hours full system pressure had been restored. Because water pressure at the plant fell below 20 PSI, the District was required to decide between issuing a boil water notice or disinfecting / flushing the system to American Water Works Association (AWWA) standards. The second option would have resulted in over 2 million gallons of water being wasted during a stage 1 drought. As such, a precautionary boil water notice was issued. Based on the lab results received earlier today, the water was never unsafe.
With fluctuating pressures in the system, it is expected that some residents will see sediment or discolored water. While unsightly, it is safe. Flushing your own lines might be needed to clear sediment or discolored water but it is not needed to make your water safe. This applies to other resident-installed systems as well including softeners, filters, heaters, and ice makers.
We understand that clear, consistent, and timely communication is crucial during these types of situations. The District is constantly seeking ways to better serve our community. We will be working over the coming weeks to improve response and communication procedures to better inform and serve Firethorne in the future should a similar event take place.
Boil Water Notice Rescinded
Fort Bend County MUD 151
September 14, 2023
On September 13, 2023, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the Fort Bend County MUD 151 public water system, TX0790443, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
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 TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of today September 14, 2023.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Inframark, the operator for Fort Bend County MUD 151, at our 24-hour Customer Service Line (281) 398-8211.