MIDLAND, Texas — The City of Midland has made a lot of progress since all of this really became not just a city-wide, but county-wide, issue Thursday afternoon.
Moving forward, the city is looking to have the boil water notice lifted as early as Saturday morning.
The water issues that have faced the Tall City stem from two sources.
First, a human error in the water treatment plant where someone failed to recognize the low water levels in the reservoir, and second, a water line break off Highway 158.
As of Friday evening, the water line repair was nearing completion and the water in the treatment plant was back to normal standards.
The city is now waiting for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, or TCEQ, to approve the testing samples it sent out Friday. Once that occurs, the boil water notice is expected to be lifted.
As they wait, flushing of the affected water main has taken place, and the Midland Fire Department has flushed fire hydrants around the Beal Park area in southwest Midland.
If you see water on the roadways, do not be alarmed, as this is another step in restoring water service to residents.
Hydrant flushing helps ensure water quality where water pressure has been lost.
If the boil water notice is lifted Saturday morning, there are some steps you should take, which starts with flushing your water system as well.
“Yes RO systems, they need to be flushed 15 to 20 minutes," said Carl Craigo, Utilities Director for the City of Midland. "Meaning once the boil water notice is rescinded, just turn that on, let that water roll through there, it really just cleans up the filters that the RO uses."
You should also clean automatic ice makers by making and discarding at least three batches of ice, as well as running water softeners through a regeneration cycle
It appears Midland had a productive day fixing both issues that led to the recent water issues.
The city has announced it will be holding a press conference Saturday at 8 a.m. You can watch that conference live on newswest9.com, as well as our YouTube and Facebook page.