Latest update I have concerning Mexia and our surrounding areas that receive water from us:

Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers,

We continue to push toward turning the water back on this coming Sunday morning.

I want to make sure as a community, that we are ready when the water does come back on.

I have prepared another information sheet for our citizens.

(Note: Some folks were posting they HAD water this morning, that is just residual water in the system)

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When the water comes back on:

For Customers Inside/Near the City of Mexia

1. Water Pressure. The water pressure will initially be very low and you will hear a lot of air coming out of your pipes. This is a part of the process of restoring water service. Allow the water to flow at one sink (e.g., the kitchen sink), go around to other faucets in the house, turn them on, and let the air stop spitting out.

2. Who gets Water first? Not everyone will have water at once, there are 20+ miles of water pipe in the City and some locations will have water, before others, due to differences in elevation and distance from the water tower.

3. Water will be flowing in the Streets. This is a big one. The Water Department has to open up fire hydrants to let out the air that is in the system. The only way to do that is to run water completely through the system. So, when someone posts on Facebook that “These crazy City employees are running water we need in the streets”. . .please know that this action is necessary to get us back to where we want to be.

4. Water Leaks in Homes. As the water comes back on, some customers will find leaks and busted pipes. If you know how to turn off your water at the meter, please do so. If you don’t, please call 254-562-4170 and the Water Department will come as quickly as they can.

5. Water On, Then Off. Some water mains will likely rupture a few hours after the system is pressured up. This will create frustration because your water will initially be on, and then the City has to turn it off, to fix the leak. City crews will initially have to just turn the water off on your street (to keep pressure in the overall system). A repair crew will return to repair the leak and get the water back on.

6. Boil Water. We will still be under a Boil Water Notice for a couple of days after the water comes back on. Please do not drink the tap water until you are notified the Boil Water Notice has been rescinded. We will let everyone know when the notice has been rescinded at www.cityofmexia.com

For our Wholesale Customers (White Rock, Wortham, and Shiloh)

1. The City of Mexia, and all of our wholesale customers, get water for their systems from the same water tower.

2. To provide a steady flow of water to our wholesale customers we need to gain and maintain a constant pressure in the tower. To get to that constant pressure we have to fill the City of Mexia lines first, which then allows the water tower to gain pressure. So, it is not by choice that Mexia will have water “first” it is simply the mechanics of how the system works. Please help us by relaying this information to your concerned customers who wonder why Mexia has water, and they don’t, when the water initially comes back on.

3. We value our wholesale customers and will begin pumping water to them as soon as we can maintain adequate pressure in the water tower.

4. In addition, the flow of water will initially be restricted below normal levels as we attempt to maintain pressure in the system. We will ramp up to normal levels as quickly as possible.