A raw water sample from the Turtle Creek 3 well on San Antonio’s Northwest Side tested positive for E. coli on Friday, prompting the San Antonio Water System to immediately shut the well down. SAWS says the well will stay offline while crews disinfect and retest the source before putting it back in service. Officials emphasize that treated, finished water already in the distribution system is still safe to drink.
SAWS response and advice
In a press release, SAWS said Turtle Creek 3 will remain out of service while technicians track down the possible source of contamination, disinfect the facility and collect follow-up samples. The utility said customers do not need to take any special precautions with their tap water right now. However, anyone experiencing short-term symptoms such as diarrhea, cramps, nausea or headaches should contact a medical professional, according to KSAT.
How SAWS handles raw water
SAWS says its routine monitoring program is designed to catch problems in raw groundwater before it ever reaches customers. According to the utility, all raw or untreated water is disinfected before it enters the system as finished drinking water. Past notices from the agency show that when a problem pops up, SAWS typically shuts down the affected well, disinfects it and collects new samples before returning it to service, according to San Antonio Water System.
Regulatory context
Federal and state regulations require water systems to alert the public when a groundwater source tests positive for fecal indicators such as E. coli, so customers know what is happening while corrections are underway. Those rules are laid out by the EPA and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. The notices are meant to keep people informed while utilities disinfect wells and verify that finished water remains safe.
Where Turtle Creek 3 sits and what’s next
Facility records list the Turtle Creek 3 plant at 4641 Bluffcreek Drive in San Antonio, and SAWS says the well has been taken offline while crews investigate and disinfect the site. The utility also reports collecting 420 finished-water samples this month, all of which were free of E. coli, and expects the situation to be resolved in about a week, according to the EPA Safe Drinking Water database.
Customers who have questions or who notice anything unusual about the taste or odor of their water can call SAWS at 210-704-SAWS (7297) or visit the utility’s water-quality pages for updates, according to San Antonio Water System. SAWS typically posts TCEQ public notices and follow-up test results on its site as they are released.
