LaredoBuzz.Com

Courtesy Isabel Sosa,

Laredo, Texas – The City of Laredo continues to address the ongoing Boil Water Notice (BWN) and remains committed to ensuring the safety of the community’s water supply. City Officials provide an important update based on the most recent water testing results.

Key Findings:
Recent water tests have identified two positive E. coli results in the general area of Zacate Creek and E. Saunders Street, and one sample with high bacteria levels in the general area off of Mines Road, specifically in the Deer Creek area.
As a result of these new findings, it allows the City’s team to focus targeted efforts in these specific areas to address the issue more effectively.
Next Steps:
· Staff can now direct the flushing operations and water quality interventions primarily to these affected areas, speeding up the resolution.
This means that the boil water notice will remain in effect for at least one more day as staff continues aggressive flushing, additional testing, and other remediation efforts.
Water Distribution Stations:

To support the community during this extended boil water notice, the City will be hosting water distribution stations for Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at the following locations:

Starting at 9:00 AM:
Grace Bible Church – 9901 Springfield Ave.
Starting at 6:00 PM:
Fr. McNaboe Park – 201 Zebu Ct.
Laredo Health Department (Maryland Side) – 2600 Cedar Ave.
Laredo College (South Campus) – 5500 Zapata Hwy.
Residents are encouraged to bring their utility bill and ID when picking up water supplies.
Efforts to Reduce Impact:

Although the boil water notice remains in place, the goal is to protect the health and safety of the community by eliminating the contamination completely and restore normal water service as quickly as possible. In the meantime, any opportunity to reduce the area impacted by the notice will be taken, and we are continually reviewing pressure planes and testing results to make this determination.

Reminder on Safe Water Use:
As a reminder, tap water is safe for all uses except for drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth. The community is encouraged to continue to using boiled or bottled water for any consumption-related activities. Boiling water for at least one minute is necessary to eliminate any potential harmful bacteria. The City appreciates the community’s continued patience and cooperation as crews work to resolve this issue. The City will provide updates as new information becomes available, and remains committed to protecting the health and safety of the residents.

“I want to tell the public that I understand and appreciate that we can no longer live under these conditions with our aging water infrastructure. This was one of the reasons I ran for Mayor, and for that reason, I will be calling an emergency meeting where I am going to request from my fellow council members to stand with me to redirect all our efforts and investments into our water infrastructure,” said Mayor Dr. Victor D. Trevino. “And for the public, as we continue to face what appears to be an insurmountable challenge, I know that we can fix this, and we must fix this! Because water is life.”

Next Press Conference:
The City of Laredo will hold a press conference on Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 9:00 AM to provide further updates on the boil water notice, share the latest test results, and outline the next steps being taken. All media and residents are encouraged to attend or join in for the latest information on the official Facebook page at City of Laredo – Government.

For additional information on safety guidelines, the community can visit the City of Laredo’s website at www.cityoflaredo.com, where you can also subscribe to receive newsletters via e-mail or call 3-1-1. Additionally, the Public Information Office encourages the community to follow the official social media accounts on Facebook, at City of Laredo – Government, and on Instagram @OfficialCityofLaredo.