Water loss shuts down Pearsall schools

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

City reduced to one operating well administrator says this week

A major interruption to the city’s water supply resulting in little to no pressure throughout the city prompted school closures in Pearsall on Tuesday, February 27.
Late Monday evening, three hours after the city posted on its social media platform that crews would be flushing the Cherry Street plant; a second post followed indicating the city was experiencing low or zero water pressure due to the need for an unexpected repair.
“The North Plant went down yesterday and we are waiting for a contractor to let us know what the problem is,” Pearsall City Manager Federico Reyes said in a phone interview on Tuesday morning. “We anticipate it is either a pump or a motor. Had the North Plant held on, we would have been okay.”
The Colorado Plant, which is the largest water producer for the city, has been closed for months while undergoing total rehabilitation. That work, Reyes said, is now between 90 and 95 percent complete.
On Monday, the city flushed the Cherry Street Plant, which has been non-operational due to repairs. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) requires water samples to be tested before a non-operational plant can be put back online.
“Our water samples for the Cherry and Colorado plants are at the lab,” the city manager said. “We should have the results by this afternoon or sooner. If the samples come back good, we will put both plants back online. The East Plant, on Comal Street, is running but does not produce enough water for the entire city.”
Pearsall Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Nobert Rodriguez canceled classes for Tuesday and issued a statement in which he wrote that “the health and well-being of our students and staff remains our top priority. This precautionary measure aims to safeguard everyone’s well-being.”