ODESSA, Texas — A boil water notice has been lifted for 7,500 residents in North Odessa, according to the City of Odessa. A boil water notice was issued Monday evening after a private contractor hit a water line.
“We had a private contractor bore into our 24-inch line that's caused some disruption," Odessa Deputy City Manager Agapito Bernal told NewsWest 9 on Monday. "A couple of areas within our city were affected, which is the Homestead area and Parks Bell Ranch.”
The water main line was hit around 5:00 p.m. near the intersection of E. Yukon Road and N. Grandview Avenue.
City workers rushed out to the scene to get started on repairs and replacing the pipe.
“First we have to find the dimension of the line," Bernal said. "Once we find where the break is, and what type of line it is, then we can get the material and the couplings or the dressers. [Then it's] just a matter of cutting it out and splicing it back in.”
Bernal told NewsWest 9 that city officials had a meeting before the line was hit, talking about the concerns they had over the broken lines and how they could prevent incidents like this from happening in the future.
On Wednesday morning, when the boil water notice was lifted, the city said there will also be a change in water disinfection starting Friday, May 31 through Sunday, June 29.
Residents in the City of Odessa may notice a bleach or chlorine smell in the water, but the City of Odessa stated in the press release that there is nothing to be concerned about.
Approximately in 30 days, the city will use only chlorine to disinfect the water supply instead of the combination of chlorine and ammonia to form Chloramines.
The disinfections will be implemented as a proactive activity in our distribution system to assist in maintaining adequate chlorine residuals.
The city has made this same change to its disinfectant in past years with minimal impact on its residents.
The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) has been notified of the change in the treatment of the water and concurs that it is the best method of ensuring that adequate chlorine residuals are maintained throughout the distribution system.