Ennis issues boil water notice, cancels school after water main break

A water main break in Ennis has knocked out the water supply to many homes and businesses, and the entire city is under a boil water notice.

The Ennis Independent School District has canceled classes for Monday as the city tries to fix the issue.

On Sunday afternoon, a line of cars passed through a city distribution site where each was given a case of water bottles to use as an emergency supply.

“We had to come out here and get help to get water because the water is contaminated, so we came out here to get help,” said Teresa Harris.

City leaders said on Sunday night a water main burst near the intersection of I-45 and US-34, most likely due to the cold.

When the city shut off valves in the area to isolate the leak, officials said a buildup of pressure caused a chain reaction of bursts at six other pipes, leaving many homes, restaurants and businesses without water.

“In total we experienced seven ruptures, we have three of the ruptures that have been plugged at this time, we have four that are active,” said Ennis mayor Kameron Raburn.

The entire city was placed under a boil water notice early Sunday morning, with households warned to heat any tap water to be used for drinking or washing faces and hands due to concerns of bacteria.

The Ennis school district has canceled classes for tomorrow because of the boil water notice, saying the district would be monitoring the situation.

“Like we pay for water that we can’t even drink,” said Harris. “That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

Some residents said they’ve faced multiple instances of potential water contamination in their neighborhoods in recent years.

The city’s mayor said Ennis was committed to addressing that.

“We’re a 150-year-old city, and we have a lot of aging infrastructure, and it is something that is a top priority for me,” said Raburn.

Another complication: the water issue came at the end of the Thanksgiving holiday week, with many households still hosting additional family members.

“We’re just enjoying family, we don’t let it affect us, but at the end of the day it’s still, you have to have water, you know?” said Harris. “So it affects us.”

Ennis leaders said they could also be left with an economic impact.

“Unfortunately, we do have a lot of people, a lot of visitors and a lot of people coming through who are wanting to make pit stops into town and they’re finding that a lot of our restaurants and gas stations are closed,” said Raburn.

The city of Ennis said crews were working around the clock to try and plug the water main breaks.

The city’s water distribution site at Fire Station One will be back open at 8 AM on Monday.

Officials are asking for people to conserve as much water as possible as the City actively works on the issue.

Boil notice guidance

• Use bottled or boiled water for drinking, and to prepare and cook food.
  If bottled water is not available, bring water to a full rolling boil for 1 minute (at elevations above 6,500 feet, boil for 3 minutes). After boiling, allow the water to cool before use.
• Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
• Do not use water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.
• In many cases, you can use tap water and soap to wash hands during a boil water advisory. Follow the guidance from your local public health officials.
• Be careful not to swallow any water when bathing or showering. Use caution when bathing babies and young children. Consider giving them a sponge bath to reduce the chance of them swallowing water.
• If possible, use disposable plates, cups, and utensils during a boil water advisory. Household dishwashers generally are safe to use if: the water reaches a final rinse temperature of at least 150 degrees Fahrenheit (66°Celsius), or the dishwater has a sanitizing cycle.
• To wash dishes by hand: wash and rinse the dishes as you normally would using hot water. In a separate basin, add 1 teaspoon of unscented household liquid bleach for each gallon of warm water. Soak the rinsed dishes in the water for at least one minute. Let the dishes air dry completely before using again.
• Pets can get sick from some of the same germs as people or spread germs to people. Give pets bottled water or boiled water that has cooled.
• Boil tap water even if it is filtered (for example, by a home water filter or a pitcher that filters water).
• Do not use water from any appliance connected to your water line, such as ice and water from a refrigerator.