The City of Commerce notified residents early on Sunday that all water should be boiled prior to consumption as required by the Commission on Environmental Quality.
A major leak in the local water treatment plant led to a shutdown, causing a temporary water pressure loss. This can cause problems with the disinfection levels, making it necessary for people to boil their water.
On the city’s official Facebook page, officials explained that “there is no evidence of contamination, but as a necessary precaution and in compliance with state regulations, we are notifying the community of the need to boil water that is intended for cooking or drinking.”
The city notice specifies that water for consumption should be boiled and cooled prior to use “to ensure the destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes.” It added that water used for bathing and showering is safe to use without being boiled.
Further instruction was given in that residents should bring the water “to a vigorous rolling boil” and then boil it for two minutes. If residents cannot boil water, the city recommends purchasing store-bought bottled water.
On Monday, samples of the water were sent to a third-party laboratory for testing to determine whether it was safe to ingest. Upon receipt of the results, the City released an alert later in the week stating an independent laboratory had confirmed that the water was fit for consumption, and lifted the boil water notice.
The water notice coincided with a declaration of Stage 4 Mandatory Water Restrictions issued by the city on Sunday, which is still in effect. These restrictions require residents to limit water usage through a variety of means.
Prohibited uses include power washing driveways and spraying a building clean. Residents can only use their lawn irrigation systems once a week and cannot use a hose to wash their cars at home.
Breaking any of these rules or failing to fix a leak will result in a Class C misdemeanor, and repeated offenders with over three violations will have their water service cut off.