NBU Lifts Boil-Water Notice, Announces Plans to Help Customers with High Bills

New Braunfels Utilities (NBU) lifted its boil-water notice this afternoon after meeting systemwide Texas Commission on Environmental Quality’s (TCEQ) minimum-pressure requirements.

The utility said on Facebook it provided TCEQ with laboratory test results indicating New Braunfels water no longer requires boiling before use.

“The NBU public water system has taken the necessary corrective actions to restore the quality of the water distributed by this public water system used for drinking water or human-consumption purposes,” NBU said.

NBU issued its boil-water advisory on Wednesday.

New Braunfels residents still without water pressure are asked to check for any signs of a leak inside or outside of their home; make sure customer shutoff has not been closed; or call NBU’s control center at 830-608-8800.

One-Time Price Adjustment Planned

In a press release, NBU said it has “put a plan in place” to help residential and commercial cutomers minimize the impact of storm-related high bills.

“NBU recognizes that many of our customers most likely will experience some hardship due to this week’s extreme weather conditions,” the utility said. “We plan to make a one-time adjustment to all residential and commercial water and wastewater accounts. This will assist or aid customers who may have higher bills due to freeze-related leaks or unusually higher usage for faucet dripping in order to prevent freezing at their home or businesses.”

NBU Chief Executive Officer Ian Taylor said NBU customers have endured unthinkable hardships. The water provider wants to help the community by easing the impact of their next water bills.

The financial impact of last week’s unprecedented weather winter-weather emergency has not been fully calculated but may be considerable and extend into the foreseeable, NBU said.

NBU experienced unusually sharp increases in the costs of fuel, it said in its press release. These charges normally are passed onto customers, but the utility hopes to spread out the costs to minimize the impact to customer affordability.

“Spreading out the costs, if approved, will minimize the impact to customer affordability, which is imortant since everyone in our community and beyond has already been through a very difficult time,” NBU said.

As prices stabilize and the utility assesses the final financial impact, NBU’s board of trustees and New Braunfels City Council will work together to find “the most financially reasonable solutions for our community.”

NBU also said it is closely monitoring what is happening at the state level.

NBU also provides bill assistance and payment plans for customers struggling to pay their bills.