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Azle schools will be closed for a third day today as the city waits for health authorities to certify that its water is safe to drink, officials announced late Tuesday afternoon.
Residents should continue to boil their water for two minutes before consuming it, city officials said.The city's water woes began Saturday when first a water main and then a valve broke, causing water to drain from the system and stopping service to about 4,600 customers until Monday.Storage tanks are now refilled to capacity, and water pressure should be back to normal, Fire Chief Will Scott said Tuesday. People can flush toilets and take showers, Scott said.The city is sending water samples from several locations to a lab for testing. Results are expected today.Superintendent Ray Lea said the decision to call off classes again was difficult."We just have a lot of concerns about the sanitary conditions," he said. "This has just been a big headache for us."According to the district's Web site, administrators will decide this afternoon or evening about Thursday's classes. Athletic activities will take place as scheduled."The district will not be able to prepare food, allow students and employees to wash their hands nor consume water from the water fountains," the Web site notice stated.The state requires districts to make up two missed days. Azle schools were closed Jan. 7 because of bad weather, and that makeup day is April 2. If students have to make up for Monday's closure, that will be June 7, but the administration will request a waiver from the Texas Education Agency for Monday, Tuesday and today, according to the Web site.The possibility of freezing temperatures Thursday could further disrupt schools, Lea said. "It may be a very short week for us," Lea said.Hospitals affectedAt Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Azle, elective surgeries were canceled Monday, Tuesday and today, and new patients were sent to Fort Worth hospitals, spokeswoman Whitney Jodry said.In the first hours that the 36-bed hospital was without water, she said, a backup supply was put into service. When regular service was restored Monday, the hospital began boiling water for hand-washing and food preparation, she said. "Bottled water and fresh ice are being brought in for our patients," she said. "We anticipate having water test results by [today]. Once we do, and if they come back clean, we will be able to continue with surgeries and not divert patients."Scott said healthcare facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes, are required to have emergency water plans approved by the Texas Department of State Health Services.Tarrant County Public Health asked restaurants and other food service establishments to remain closed until the boil-water notice is lifted.The problem began when a 16-inch steel pipe encased in concrete broke when a chunk of the concrete broke off, exposing the line to the elements, City Manager Craig Lemin has said. As workers repaired the water main, a valve broke in the open position, making the situation worse, he said. The boil notice was issued Sunday morning.ELIZABETH CAMPBELL, 817-390-7696
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