San Angelo’s Water System is Limping Back to Life

SAN ANGELO, TX — The City of San Angelo water system is limping back to life as periods of low water use, like overnight, are allowing the water treatment plant to pump water to more areas of the approximately 620 miles of water pipe interconnected with storage tanks. However, the City indicated the water system is not out of the woods quite yet. A majority of water customers in Southland, Bentwood, and portions of College Hills and the western edge of Santa Rita neighborhoods still do not have water because the tanks on the upper plane are not yet filled. The City urged water customers to conserve water if you have it to help others who don’t yet have running water.

Today, Friday, Feb. 19, the City of San Angelo experienced a considerable amount of water customers calling the water department for meter turn offs due to broken or cracked service lines. We did expect this as the temperatures increased above freezing.

You may have seen fire hydrants around town releasing water today. The City said this operation was done for a couple of reasons. The first was part of the leak repair process. Secondly, was this was part of the process required by TCEQ to release the City from its current boil water notice.

The City reported less leaks due to the temperature change than anticipated today.

To report leaks or sewer backups, call (325) 657-4295. The water department call center is experiencing high call volumes right now, so please keep trying.

Friday, Feb. 19, the water treatment plant maintained the same high flow rate and pressures as were delivered on Thursday at 21.5 million gallons per day. This is typically a flow rate that we see in the peak summer heat. A usual flow rate in winter months is about half that, at 10.5 mgd.

As filling tanks did gain some traction the night of Thursday, Feb. 18, the City did see a slight drop in those tanks throughout Friday. The City is striving to increase the system’s water volume in all storage tanks throughout Friday night and this weekend. This will allow the City to move onto sending water through the water distribution system into the tanks that will then pressurize the high plane and eventually the entire system. The high plane serves water customers located generally outside Loop 306 Expy. and incorporates a chunk of the College Hills area inside the Loop on the City’s west side.

For reference, these are the water tanks on the San Angelo water system:

• Southwest Tank = 9.4 million gallons
• Abilene Tank = 3.5 million gallons
• Loop Elevated Tank = 1 million gallons
• Lakeview Elevated Tank = 1.25 million gallons
• Bluffs Elevated Tank = 2 million gallons

The City said conservation is crucial to achieving the end result — getting the water storage tanks refilled and the water system fully pressurized. Once this happens, City water workers will take test samples around the city to determine when to lift the boil water notice.

Water trucks will continue deliveries in the high plane area tomorrow. Trucks will be going through areas that they were not able to get to today, delivering 10 gallons of water to households for use in their toilets. The city requests that citizens please be patient as this takes time as its crews work through the area.