MIDLAND, Texas — On Thursday, the City of Midland gave an update on the water main breaks that have been happening throughout Midland.
The city so far has seen eight water main breaks since Monday.
When the ground freezes and unthaws, it'll move, which can break some of the smaller pipes.
A lot of the water main breaks are made from cast iron, which are susceptible to breaking when the ground moves.
The cast iron pipes are currently being changed to PVP pipes.
If a person ever loses water because of a break and the city comes out and fixes it, they have some suggestions for what to do when the water is back on.
"If you do lose water, mainly from a break, the best thing to do when we turn it on is it to go outside and turn an outside spigot on," City of Midland Utilities Director Carl Craigo said. "That is the closest water outlet to your house from our pipe and that would get any air out of the system so it doesn't go to your house."
The City of Midland also gave an update to arsenic levels in the water.
There is one isolated incident where arsenic levels are at .0108 milligrams, which is hair above the EPA's standards.
The higher arsenic levels are in the city's groundwater, which makes up 30% of the city's water supply.
When groundwater, which contains more arsenic, blends with surface water, it dilutes long before it reaches a person's house.