LCRA has issued a precautionary boil water notice for customers of the Spicewood Beach Regional Water System in Burnet County.

The precautionary boil water notice was prompted by a change in well pumps, not because of any issues with water being trucked in to refill the Spicewood Beach system storage tank.

LCRA moved the Spicewood Beach system to Stage 4 emergency drought restrictions last week after the well serving the system began to be unreliable because of severely low water levels. LCRA began trucking water into the area this week to ensure that customers continue to have water to meet essential needs. The trucked in water is being used to refill the system’s storage tank.

The Spicewood Beach system serves about 1,100 people in the communities of Spicewood Beach, Lakeside Beach, Lake Oaks, and Eagle Bluff in Burnet County. It also serves the Spicewood Elementary School in the Marble Falls Independent School District.

LCRA issued the precautionary boil water notice Wednesday morning after employees installed a smaller well pump in an effort to reduce the pumping effect on the extremely low water level in the well. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires that a boil water notice be issued any time a well pump is removed.

The well and new 50 gallon-per-minute pump were disinfected prior to being put into operation and the boil water notice is precautionary. The new pump replaces a 200 gallon-per-minute pump.

LCRA is currently testing the water to make sure that it is free of bacteria. The tests are expected to take about 24 hours to complete. LCRA will notify residents when the boil water notice is lifted, which could be as early as Thursday afternoon.

To ensure destruction of all harmful bacteria and other microbes, water for drinking, cooking, and ice-making should be boiled and cooled before consumption. The water should be brought to a vigorous rolling boil and then boiled for two minutes.