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How to Issue a Boil Water Notice to Customers of a Community PWS

Step-by-step instructions for notifying customers to boil water. Links to templates for preparing mandatory language as well as to related forms.

These instructions apply to you if you own or operate a community public water system. When necessary to tell your customers to boil water before using it for drinking, food preparation, or washing, you must:

  1. Notify customers within 24 hours. [Title 30 Texas Administrative Code (30 TAC) Subparagraph 290.46(q)(1)]
  2. Using the appropriate mandatory language, prepare a boil water notice in English and, if necessary, Spanish. [30 TAC Subsection 290.47(e)]
  3. Issue the notice as follows:
    • Furnish a copy of the notice to the radio and television stations that serve the area served by your PWS.
    • If a daily newspaper of general circulation serves the area served by your PWS, publish the notice in that newspaper.
    • If no such newspaper exists, continuously post the notice in conspicuous places within the area served by your PWS until we tell you that you may take it down.
  4. Within 10 days of issuing this or any other notice mentioned in these steps, send a copy of the actual notice and the signed Certificate of Delivery of Public Notice to Customers to us via email to PWSBWN@tceq.texas.gov, via fax to (512) 239-3666, or via mail to [30 TAC Subsection 290.122(f)]:

    Boil Water Notice, MC-155
    TCEQ
    PO Box 13087
    Austin TX 78711-3087

  5. If the boil water notice is due to an acute MCL, then no more than 45 days after the violation or situation was discovered, mail or hand-deliver a follow-up notice to all persons served by your PWS. (If you mail this follow-up notice, you may enclose them with the water bill.) After each follow-up notice, complete the Certificate of Delivery of Public Notice to Customers as described in Step 4 and submit it to us with a copy of each notice issued.
  6. For as long as the violation or situation exists, reissue the notice at least once every three months by mail or by direct delivery. (This reissued notice may also be mailed with the water bill.) For each reissuance, complete the Certificate of Delivery of Public Notice to Customers and submit it to us with a copy of the notice as described in Step 4.
  7. When it is no longer necessary for your customers to boil water, issue a rescind notice in the same way you issued the original notice. [30 TAC Subparagraph 290.46(q)(1)] Then, as described in Step 4, complete the Certificate of Delivery of Public Notice to Customers and submit it to us with a copy of this notice within 10 days of distribution.

Boil Water Notice Quick Guide

If you have any questions about these instructions, e-mail us the BWN program or call (512) 239-4691 and ask to speak to a staff member regarding boil water notices.