101819 Press Release - Boil Water Notice Lifted -J�OF FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DENTON Ryan Adams • (940) 349-8565 • Ryan.Adamsgcityofdenton.com
City of Denton Lifts Boil Water Notice
Customers in Affected Area No Longer Need to Boil Water Before Consumption
DENTON, TX, Oct. 18, 2019 — The City of Denton has lifted the Boil Water Notice issued
Thursday, Oct. 17. Residents in the affected area — generally south of IH35, north of Highland
Park Road,west of Kendolph Drive, and east of Western Boulevard—no longer need to boil water
before consumption, official test results confirmed Friday afternoon.
At 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, the City of Denton was notified by University of North Texas staff that
an irrigation pump was inadvertently connected from a stormwater pond to the potable water
distribution system. At approximately 4 p.m., City Utilities staff began closing water distribution
system valves to isolate the impacted area.
City of Denton Municipal Laboratory staff mobilized immediately and collected water samples in
the affected area to confirm water quality meets regulatory standards.Preliminary results on Friday
morning showed no bacteriological growth. Results received at approximately 12:57 p.m. Friday
confirmed no harmful bacteria are present in the drinking water supply.
The City received authorization from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to rescind
the Boil Water Notice at 4 p.m. Friday.
Testing was also done in areas not within the notice area. The City found there was adequate
disinfectant in the distribution system to prevent harmful bacteriological growth, and potential
contamination was unlikely to affect any customers in locations outside the notice area.
For general information, please contact the City of Denton Utilities at(940) 349-7000.
Please share this information with people who may drink water in the affected area, especially
those who may not have received this notice. You can do this by posting the attached notice in a
public place or distributing copies by hand or mail.
Contact: Ryan Adams, (940) 349-8565,Ryan.Adams@cityofdenton.com
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What steps do I need to take now that the boil water notice has been rescinded?
You should flush household pipes, ice makers, water fountains, etc. prior to using for drinking or
cooking. Flushing simply means letting the water run to ensure that no contaminated water remains
in your pipes. Follow the following guidelines for flushing:
OUR CORE VALUES
Integrity•Fiscal Responsibility• Transparency• Outstanding Customer Service
ADA/EOE/ADEA www.cityofdenton.com TDD(800)735-2989
• Run all cold water faucets in your home for one minute
• To flush automatic ice makers, make three batches of ice and discard
• Run water softeners through a regeneration cycle
What is a boil water notice?
A boil water notice is a public statement advising people to boil their tap water before using it,
typically in response to an event that has (or could have) introduced contaminants into the water
distribution system. Such events include a large water main break, widespread loss of system
pressure, or results of routine sample testing in the system. Although waterborne diseases are
extremely rare, they can be serious. The risk is higher for infants, the elderly and persons with
immune deficiency disorders. Denton Water Utilities issues boil-water notices even if the
possibility of contamination is remote to safeguard the health of the community.
Why does Denton issue boil water notices?
As a precaution when contamination within the water system is suspected, Denton Water Utilities
can request that customers boil their water or use bottled water until water sample lab test results
become available.
2
Figure: 30 TAC §290.47(c)(3)
Boil Water Notice Rescinded
October 18, 2019
On October 17, 2019, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality required the City
of Denton public water system, TX0610002, to issue a Boil Water Notice to inform
customers, individuals, or employees that due to conditions which occurred recently in
the public water system, the water from this public water system was required to be
boiled prior to use for drinking water or human consumption purposes.
The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality
of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human
consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate
that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of 4 P.M. October 18, 2019.
If you have questions concerning this matter, you may contact Frank Pugsley, Water
Utilities Director at 940-349-8086, or Kenneth Banks, General Manager of Utilities at 940-
349-7165, 215 E. McKinney Street, Denton Texas 76201.
Water tests conducted by the City's municipal laboratory confirmed the
absence of harmful bacteria on October 18, 2019 at approximately 12:5 7 P.M.
On Thursday October 17, 2019 at approximately 3:30 P.M. University of North
Texas staff notified City of Denton Water Utilities staff that an unauthorized cross
connection was made with the University's irrigation system at/near Apogee
Stadium. That afternoon, an irrigation pump was inadvertently connected without
appropriate backflow prevention, introducing untreated stormwater into the potable
water distribution system.
The impacted area was generally south of IH35, north of Highland Park Road, west
of Kendolph Drive and east of Western Boulevard.
At approximately 4:00 P.M. City Utilities staff began closing water distribution
system valves to isolate the impacted area. Extensive water distribution
flushing at fire hydrants continued for several hours. The City of Denton
Municipal Laboratory personnel collected bacteriological water samples to
confirm water quality meets regulatory standards in the impacted area. City
crews noted that the disinfectant residual (chlorine) within the impacted area
was 3.0 to 4.0 milligrams per liter (mg/L), more than the regulatory minimum
of 03 mg/L, protecting against bacteriological contamination.