Paris Issues Boil Water Notice

SURFACE WATER TREATMENT TECHNIQUE: NON-ACUTE VIOLATION

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality sets minimum water quality standards for public drinking water. One of these standards is a turbidity limit.

Turbidity by itself has no health effects. However, turbidity can interfere with disinfection and provide a medium for microbial growth. Turbidity may also indicate the presence of disease-causing organisms. These organisms include bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can cause symptoms such as nausea, cramps, diarrhea, and associated headaches. These symptoms can be particularly severe in people who are not as resistant to infections as most of the population. If you experience severe symptoms, please consult with your doctor to determine what actions you should take.

The City of Paris Water Treatment Plant, PWS ID TX1390002, failed to meet the minimum treatment technique requirements for the month of February 2021. Specifically, our water system had a multiple barrier failure treatment technique violation (CFE >1.0 NTU and IFE >2.0 NTU).

Due to the nature and severity of this violation, the TCEQ has required us to issue this public notice and to tell all our customers that they should boil their water prior to consumption.

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, any water that you use for drinking, cooking, or ice making should be boiled prior to consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes. (Be sure to let it cool before drinking it.) In lieu of boiling, you may purchase bottled water or obtain water from some other suitable source. When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, we will notify you.

Additional monitoring for turbidity, chlorine residual and coliform bacteria of drinking water in the distribution system is being conducted by water treatment plant staff.

When it is no longer necessary to boil the water, the water system officials will notify you that the water is safe for consumption. Instructions to discontinue boiling will be issued in the same manner as this notice.

If you have questions regarding this matter, you may contact either Doug Harris, Director of Utilities, or Danny Rowell, Water Treatment Superintendent, at 903-784-2464.