UPDATE: Tuesday - 10:30 a.m. -
After Monday's boil water notice, the Rockport public water system has since taken corrective actions, provided TCEQ with laboratory test results, and, as of November 25, 2025, the water no longer requires boiling prior to use.
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ORIGINAL STORY:
A mandatory water boil notice issued in Rockport just days before Thanksgiving has left residents and businesses concerned about holiday preparations after a lightning strike damaged the city's water infrastructure.
Chris Wren, who is visiting family for Thanksgiving after moving to Colorado, said his family lost water Saturday but continued using it once service was restored because he never received notification about the boil water notice.
"We lost water yesterday. My first concern was we're going to have a water boil, but I never heard anything about it all day yesterday, so we continued to use the water once the water was restored," Wren said.
Wren said he only learned about the boil water notice while driving downtown and expressed frustration about the lack of communication from the city.
"I'm just kind of disappointed that I'm just now finding out that there's a water boil after using water all morning, and here we are," Wren said.
According to a city statement, a lightning strike Saturday night damaged the Rockport Service Center water tower, knocking out controls, emergency communications and parts of the IT network. The damage caused a drop in water pressure, which led to the mandatory boil water notice.
The city said it switched from the Code Red system to Reverse Alert in September and encourages residents to sign up for Reverse Alert to ensure they receive emergency notifications.
Local businesses are also feeling the impact. Michael De La Garza, manager of Mac's Pit Barbecue and Catering, said the notice created significant challenges during the busy holiday period.
"I had to call my employees and tell them to stop serving drinks and go straight to H-E-B for water and ice. With no notice, it's a huge inconvenience. I didn't even tell them until 11:15 and we were already open," De La Garza said.
De La Garza said the scramble costs time and money while adding pressure during the holiday rush.
"It can cause people to spend less money and not want to go out if they're concerned about it," De La Garza said.
Water samples have been sent for testing. The results of those tests will determine when the boil water notice is lifted.
To sign up for Reverse Alert, community members can text their zip code to 888777 or visit reversealert.org to create an account.
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