(ETH) – St. David’s South Austin Medical Center is suffering from a loss of water pressure and heat and is taking several steps to get water to the hospital, officials said Wednesday evening. In an email, David Huffstutler, CEO of St. David’s HealthCare, said the facility’s boiler depends on water, contributing to falling temperatures inside.
The water issue is also impacting “a number of other hospitals in the area,” he said. “Because this is a state-wide emergency situation that is also impacting other hospitals within the Austin area, no one hospital currently has the capacity to accept transport of a large number of patients,” the statement said.
The email did not say which other facilities are facing problems. But officials with Ascension Seton Southwest Hospital, in Southwest Austin, said they are also facing intermittent issues with water pressure. Effective immediately, the hospital is rescheduling elective surgeries to preserve bed capacity and personnel, according to a statement from Ascension Seton. READ MORE
First Texans lost their power. Now, they’re losing their potable water. After enduring multiple days of freezing temperatures and Texans dripping faucets to prevent frozen pipes from bursting, cities across the state warned residents on Wednesday that water levels are dangerously low and may be unsafe to drink.
They’re telling Texans to boil tap water for drinking, cooking, brushing their teeth and for making ice — as residents have been struggling to maintain power and heat while an unprecedented winter storm whips across the state. While activities such as showering and doing laundry are safe,
cities underwater boil notices are asking people to conserve water if at all possible. Approximately 590 public water systems in 141 Texas counties have reported disruptions in service, affecting nearly 12 million people as of late Wednesday afternoon, according to a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokesperson. READ MORE
