Boil water notice in The Woodlands lifted; MUD 47 officials say water is safe

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Testing confirms that water in the South Copperknoll Circle area of Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 47 (MUD 47) is safe, according to The Woodlands Joint Powers Agency (WJPA) and San Jacinto River Authority (SJRA).

E. coli bacteria detected during routine water system testing in The Woodlands was found to be isolated to a single family home and was likely caused by repairs to the home’s irrigation system. Subsequent water samples upstream and downstream of the South Copperknoll Circle residence tested negative for bacteria.

Today, MUD 47 provided the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) with laboratory results confirming that corrective action restored the quality of the water in the affected area and that boiling of water no longer was necessary before human consumption. On Thursday, MUD 47 had issued a TCEQ-required Boil Water Notice.

WJPA General Manager James M. Stinson said, “While we believed the bacterial issue was limited to one residence, state regulations require notification of the entire MUD district. We know this concerned some residents. Looking ahead, we’ll work with TCEQ and the state to explore whether more narrow notifications in instances like this one might be possible.”

As required for all public water systems, WJPA and SJRA routinely collects and tests hundreds of water quality samples throughout The Woodlands drinking water system.