The Aledo Ledger Sunday, September 6, 2026

Boil-water notices

Checked against the source Sunday, September 6, 2026

A boil-water notice is issued by the water system within 24 hours of low pressure, an outage, E. coli in a sample, lost disinfectant or high turbidity, under state rules the TCEQ enforces; the mandatory notice tells customers to bring water to a rolling boil for two minutes before drinking, cooking or making ice. What the TCEQ's guide and template say, checked Sept. 6, 2026, with how the city would deliver one.

What is a boil-water notice?

A precaution the public water system must issue when an unexpected condition creates a potential for biological contamination, per the TCEQ's guide. The listed triggers are distribution pressure below 20 pounds per square inch, a water outage, a sample containing E. coli, failure to maintain disinfectant residuals, elevated turbidity in treated surface water, or another condition that compromises the supply. The system must issue it within 24 hours of meeting any of those conditions.

What do I do while one is in effect?

The state's mandatory notice language says water for drinking, cooking and ice-making should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and boiled for two minutes, then cooled; that the notice applies to consumption including washing hands and face and brushing teeth; that children, seniors and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable; and that bottled water or another suitable source may be used instead.

How would I hear about one in Aledo?

The TCEQ's delivery options for a community system include radio and television, a newspaper, direct delivery or posting, and electronic alert systems. The city's own channel is Aledo Alert, which sends texts, emails or calls for utility disruptions; its news page and social accounts are the other official outlets. Urgent water problems after hours go to the Public Works on-call line, (817) 209-8753.

When does it end?

Only after the system documents to the TCEQ that pressure above 20 psi is consistently maintained, the system has been flushed, disinfectant residuals are back above the minimum, and, for surface-water systems, turbidity is below 1.0 NTU, and then special microbiological samples from across the system test negative for total coliform; the system then issues a rescinding notice in the same manner as the original, per the TCEQ's guide and template.

Also

  • Since Sept. 1, 2023, systems must also notify the TCEQ immediately of an unplanned outage or notice, under 30 TAC 290.46(w); planned shutdowns with advance notice are exempt.
  • The Ledger has not found a boil-water notice for the City of Aledo in the record it holds; this page explains the rules so the next one is easy to read.

Sources

The source controls. If the city changes a schedule or a rule, its page is right and this one is behind until the next check; tell the Ledger through the form and it is fixed the same day.