In February 2021, unprecedented ice storms struck Texas for days on end. These storms inflicted massive damage on the state’s electrical and water systems. Water main breaks, mechanical failures, frozen or broken water lines, and other water system issues left over 1.4 million Texans facing significant water disruptions.
As of March, many local communities still face ongoing water challenges. Authorities instructed over 200,000 residents of the Dallas metro area living in areas including north Fort Worth, Keller, South Lake, Roanoke, and other cities to boil their water before drinking it. Here’s what your boil water notice means for you, and how you can make sure your water is safe to drink.
Why You Received a Boil Water Notice
If you received a boil water notice, the city municipality believes power outages affected the plants supplying your water. Power outages and damage temporarily kept the water plant from treating water to an acceptable standard.
What Makes My Water Unsafe Right Now?
The water your local treatment plant couldn’t process correctly may still be present in the supply. That water may contain bacteria, chemicals, and other harmful contaminants that could affect your health if consumed.
These contaminants leach into water at its original source from waste, fertilizer, natural sediment, rain, and other pollutants. By the time it reaches you, the contaminants may only exist as microscopic bacterial particles, but they should still be considered dangerous. Do not assume your water is safe to drink because you can’t see or smell anything wrong with it. Continue to boil or otherwise treat your tap water until you receive notice.
Can I Use My Refrigerator Filter to Filter Water?
NO. Unfortunately, a refrigerator filter will not be sufficient for cleaning contaminated water. Fridge filters are great at removing harmful chemicals from your water supply, but they don’t do enough to remove the kinds of bacteria that may still be present inside your water to make it safe to drink.
In fact, we recommend against using your refrigerator filter in any capacity while the boil water notice is in effect. Not only will it remain ineffective at cleaning your water, but the sheer number of contaminants in your water supply right now will clog your filter prematurely. There’s no reason to waste your filter if it isn’t working anyway! Boil your water instead, or (better yet) invest in whole home filtration instead.
Why Does My Water Smell Bad?
Even after you boil your water, you may notice it smells strange or unpleasant. Unfortunately, that is another side effect of the power outages that disabled local water treatment plants.
“Even after the boil alert, residents are looking at some long-term water challenges there in Texas,” commented Honest Water Filter Company CEO & Founder, Eric Brockmire. “Officials are now disinfecting water at much higher concentration in response to last week’s water emergency causing bad odors in your tap water.”
How Can I Make Sure My Water Is Safe and Smells Normal?
Fortunately, there is a way to ensure your water both smells and tastes normal going forward: you could invest in certified water treatment solutions from The Honest Water Filter Company and Benjamin Franklin Plumbing.
Benjamin Franklin Plumbing’s experts are certified suppliers and installers of Honest Water Filter’s full suite of water filtration technology. We find the right water filter, install it quickly and effectively, and make sure it’s keeping your water safe. Honest water filters safely process both the chemicals and bacteria and contaminants that may be affecting your water’s smell. Using a water filter will help you maintain clean, normal-tasting water and peace of mind for your entire family.
Dallas water utilities are hard at work restoring the city’s water infrastructure, and have made significant progress. In the meantime, however, we advise you to continue boiling your water. Pay close attention to your health until you receive more information.
If you’re interested in investing in a whole home water filtration solution to keep your water safe now and in the future, get in touch with the experts at Benjamin Franklin Plumbing any time. We’re happy to help you find the right solution to keep your family safe. We’ll get through this together!
