Smiley rescinds boil water notice for water system

A nearly weeklong boil water notice for the City of Smiley’s public water system has been rescinded, the city announced Monday, Sept. 30.

“The public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human consumption purposes and has provided TCEQ with laboratory test results that indicate that the water no longer requires boiling prior to use as of September 30, 2024,” the city posted on Facebook.

The city had been under a boil water notice since Tuesday, Sept. 24, when Mayor Pro Tem Ellis Villasana declared a state of disaster and public health emergency due to possible contamination of the water supply and told residents the city lacks sufficient potable water to serve its citizens.

The city had 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. The failure of the water system caused a buildup of coliform bacteria in the water supply that can occur naturally through runoff into a well if the water cannot be treated properly.

The boil notice was issued the same day as the declaration as residents were told not to use water for “drinking, cooking, bathing, brushing teeth or use for pets” without first boiling it to kill any coliform bacteria

The Smiley Fire Department and city crews spent time throughout the week and the weekend, distributing bottled, potable water to residents upon them showing copies of their utility bills. City crews also worked around the clock under guidance from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) and Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to get the wells back up and running and treating the water until it was fit for human consumption.

Residents with any further questions about the city’s water quality now that the boil notice has been rescinded are asked to contact Lisa Benavidez at 830-203-8910.