Smiley declares disaster due to lack of potable water

Smiley city officials on Tuesday, Sept. 24, declared a state of disaster and public health emergency due to possible contamination of their public water supply and told residents the city lacks sufficient potable water to serve its citizens.

The Smiley Fire Department spent Tuesday evening distributing water to residents at the fire station and trying to reach out to make sure everyone knew not to drink water from the city supply. Nixon-Smiley CISD released its students from the elementary school early Tuesday due to the lack of potable water.

The city has been working to repair its water supply system since Sept. 9 when a well pump on Well No. 1 stopped working. While the city had been trying to get replacement parts, the load placed on the system and on Well No. 3 caused it to stop operating Monday, Sept. 23.

A declaration signed by Mayor Pro Tem Ellis Villasana said the system “has been determined to need additional repairs and maintenance before adequate potable water service can be restored.”

Under the declaration, city residents cannot use the water from the water supply “for drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing teeth, or use for pets. Water may be used for washing clothes and flushing toilets only and such use shall be restricted to necessary use only to prevent unsanitary conditions.”

The city is working with the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and to restore potable water to all residents.

A boil water notice has also been issued for the city, but residents may wish to use purified water if possible to make sure they avoid dirty water, especially if they lack the ability to safely boil water.