Granite Shoals water customers get a break; city rescinds boil water notice
Granite Shoals city crews were getting ready to install artificial turf on the baseball field when the winter storm struck, halting the work. But once the ground and turf dry out, the crews will return to the project. Staff photo by Jennifer Fierro
The Granite Shoals City Council approved a measure Feb. 23 ensuring city water customers’ February bills will be the same amount as January.
City Manager Jeff Looney recommended the action to the council a week after arctic temperatures froze parts of the water system that left some residents without water starting Feb. 15.
“We did want to give some relief to folks,” he said. “It was the simplest and fairest way to treat folks. We don’t know the number of line breaks, and it would be hard to figure that out.”
He added that January is typically the month with the lowest water usage.
The council also approved a disaster declaration, a requirement for reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for damages from the winter storm that hit the area Feb. 15-19.
In other news, Assistant City Manager Peggy Smith told the council the artificial turf for the new baseball field arrived right when the freezing temperatures began. Now, it’s a matter of Mother Nature being a team player and drying up the playing area and turf so workers can fasten the two together.
“As soon as the baseball field dries, we’ll get it on,” she said. “We’re laying the turf out and gluing the two together.”
The council also:
- canceled the May 1 election because candidates for each seat were running unopposed;
- and accepted Place 3 Councilor Jim Davant’s resignation and swore in Samantha Ortis to replace him.
Also, the city of Granite Shoals on Wednesday, Feb. 24, rescinded its boil water notice that had been in place since Feb. 18. According to the city, “the public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water.” Results for samples sent to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality indicated that water no longer needs to be boiled.