Galveston officials on Thursday night reported receiving an "unprecedented amount of water leaks due to frozen pipes" in the wake of temperatures that hovered in the 20s on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"The City’s utility billing office has received over 3,000 phone calls over the last day and a half and expect the number to continue to rise," officials said in a news release.
"This is quickly becoming a water emergency, and we hope that residents will heed the message and help us to conserve the water we do have in reserves," City Manager Brian Maxwell said in a written statement.
Anderson said the city’s public works department completed the required sample testing on the water late Wednesday night.
Pearland officials discovered a malfunction at its water production facility at 3100 Kirby around 6 p.m. Wednesday: The water pressure had fallen below what’s required by state and federal law.
Treatment plants fail During the investigation, Anderson said, officials discovered that the root of the malfunction originated at Pearland’s other water treatment facility, on FM 521.
Anderson said it was unclear exactly how long the water pressure was lower than state and federal requirements and that this was part of the investigation – as well as why the FM 521 treatment facility’s fail-safe alarm failed.
In the meantime, Pearland businesses and residents struggled with the inconvenience of not having clean running water.
Boiling necessary Crystal Charles, an assistant manager at Josephine’s Day Spa and Salon, said that some of their clients were doused with water from a spray bottle, in lieu of clean tap water.
"Right now I’m about to boil water and try to wash some dishes – probably will take dishwashing three times as long," Davis said.