The City of Victoria’s systemwide chlorine conversion remains on track, with staff continuing to make steady progress in replacing older water with water containing a higher concentration of chlorine disinfectant, an important step toward lifting the citywide boil-water notice.
Chlorine Conversion Underway
The Chlorine Conversion began at 7 a.m. Saturday, July 12 ahead of the original August schedule. This accelerated timeline was implemented to help restore adequate disinfectant levels more quickly.
This temporary process involves switching from chloramines to a higher concentration of chlorine to thoroughly disinfect the water system and eliminate potential contaminants.
The first step involved flushing the clear well storage tanks at the surface water treatment plant, which was completed last night, followed by the flushing of several water towers. Crews are now focused on flushing the broader distribution system to ensure that all areas receive stronger, freshly treated water.
To give a sense of scale, the surface water treatment plant is currently pushing out 16 million gallons per day, double the usual output before this situation began.
City Manager Jesús A. Garza said during the press conference that this process has been used annually for the past 25 years and is safe and commonly used to address disinfection-level issues.
City staff continue to collect and test water samples to monitor chlorine levels until the system stabilizes.
Anticipated Timeline:
The projected schedule remains on-track for testing and next steps:
- Sunday, July 13: test for chlorine levels
- Monday, July 14: anticipated test for bacteria (requirement by TCEQ to rescind boil water notice
- Tuesday, July 15: anticipated best case scenario for the rescinding of boil-water notice
- Wednesday, July 16: anticipated possible rescinding of boil-water notice should any step get delayed along the way
Once chlorine levels are consistently restored throughout the system, the City can begin bacteria testing. Results from that testing typically take 24 hours. If all goes according to plan, the boil-water notice could be lifted as early as Tuesday, July 15. If chlorine levels do not rebound quickly, the notice may remain in effect through mid-week.
The boil-water notice was issued Wednesday, July 9, after water samples showed chlorine levels in some parts of the system had dropped below the minimum threshold required by Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). The City responded immediately with corrective action to restore disinfectant levels and protect public health.
Stay Informed
The City held its second press conference on Saturday, July 12, to provide updates to the public. Moving forward, the City will no longer host daily press conferences but will instead provide written updates each day as progress continues and until the boil-water notice is rescinded.
To receive alerts and updates, residents can sign up for the City’s Alert Center at www.victoriatx.gov/alertcenter. If residents trouble editing their contact information, click “Create Account” and proceed to the next page to add additional contact methods.
City utility account holders will automatically receive Alert Center notifications using the contact information linked to their accounts.
For more information, contact Communications & Public Affairs at communications@victoriatx.gov.