City: Please Stop Using Water for Now

SAN ANGELO, TX – San Angelo city officials are urging residents to use less water so the system can build up pressure and refill tanks. 

Here's the latest on the water situation from the city: 

The entire city remains in a boil water notice at this time due to pressure issues throughout the water system. Water needs to be boiled before consumption.

We have received questions asking if the PaulAnn area is allowed to drink or boil their water; they are still under a do-not-drink notice at this time and should not drink or boil their water at this time.

We have seen a lot of questions asking why the City can’t simply shut water off to the low plane to refill the tanks in the high plane. In theory, that would be a great idea but in reality it is not feasible with our water system. The water treatment plant supplies pressure to the majority of the low plane. Although water does leave the treatment plant through large mains that feed to the tanks, there are many feeds off those bigger lines that feed the low plane. The low plane must be full and pressurized before the water can make it to the tanks that feed into the high plane. The tanks and additional pumping systems then feed the pressure to the high plane. 

At this time, the water plant is maintaining pressures leaving the plant at around 70-80 pounds; normal pressure at the water plant is around 80 to 90 pounds. The plant is currently delivering water at volumes that we typically see in the peak times of the summer.

Even with the call to reduce water usage in the lower plane, throughout the day we have seen very little decrease in consumption; therefore, this results in very little increase to the tanks.

We need everyone to conserve water as much as possible. Less usage will help our water tanks refill. Right now, everyone’s usage is limiting the refill ability at our water plant. Please only use water for flushing toilets when necessary and boiling water for drinking and cooking if you do not have bottled water. 

This has been a difficult week for all of us; we need everyone’s help to get our water system back online as quickly as possible.

Crews have been working on water leaks nonstop. Please also keep in mind that as temperatures rise tomorrow, we will likely have more water main breaks due to shifting underground, as well as more pipes bursting in homes that will contribute to the pressure concerns.

Leaks repaired over the last 24 hours:

• MLK and 29th St. - repaired

• 3000 Block of Forest Park - repaired

• 1601 S. Jackson - repaired

• Shamrock and Sul Ross - repaired

• 20 N. Pope St. - repaired

• Upton and Browning - repaired

• Randolph and Twohig - repaired

• Irving and Twohig - repaired

• 2405 Oxford - repaired

• 718 N. Van Buren St. - working on now

Please know that our Water Department and City crews are working around the clock to fix our water issues and restore service to the community. We appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that our employees have put in over the last week to restore our water. While City offices have been closed this week due to hazardous conditions, employees have been working in the field, in the office or from home to provide service to the citizens of San Angelo.

Once pressure is restored citywide, we will still be under a boil water notice until samples can be taken and approved by the TCEQ to rescind the notice.

In addition, trucks delivering toilet water to the high plane portion of the city stopped at 10 p.m. last night.  They will resume delivery Friday morning.  Residents are requested to leave water containers near the street until they are filled.