According to the city, there’s been a loss in water pressure.
RICHARDSON, Texas — The City of Richardson has issued a Boil Water Notice for residents in the southwest region of the city after an equipment malfunction Wednesday.
According to a news release from the city, the equipment malfunction caused a portion of the City’s 767 water zone to experience a drop in water pressure. This went undetected due to a malfunction of telemetry equipment that failed to notify operators and the water pressure ultimately fell to zero.
The city said the water pressure was at zero for about five minutes before the issue was identified and the pumps were restarted.
Because of this drop in water pressure, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has required the city to notify all customers to boil their water before consuming it. This means everyone in the affected area should bring water to a boil and let it go for two minutes before letting it cool off.
According to the TCEQ, children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable to harmful bacteria.
The city said this notice is affecting about 17,000 customers, including residential areas, schools and businesses.
Richardson ISD said because of the water conditions, it will close the following five campuses on Thursday:
- Arapaho Classical Magnet
- Dover Elementary School
- Heights Elementary School
- Richarson West Junior High
- Richardson High School
Customers in the area who want access to clean water may visit the city of Richardson’s water distribution center, which will be located at Heights Recreation Center at 711 W Arapaho Rd. This location will be open during the following times:
- Wednesday: 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
- Thursday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Friday: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This is a developing story. WFAA will update this article with the latest developments.