Gatesville issues boil water notice after water main break
Gatesville customers had to boil tap water after a main break near Ace Hardware on State Highway 36. Crews were repairing the line while officials urged conservation for 24 to 48 hours.
A city-wide boil water notice affected every Gatesville customer after a water main break near Ace Hardware on State Highway 36. Residents and businesses had to boil water before drinking, cooking, making coffee, brushing teeth or preparing baby formula until the city lifted the advisory, while officials urged customers to conserve water for the next 24 to 48 hours.
The break happened around 12:30 p.m. on July 15, 2026, when an internet company boring fiber optic line near Ace Hardware struck the main waterline that supplies all of Gatesville and surrounding areas with fresh drinking water. City Manager Brad Hunt said crews were working to repair the damage as the system stabilized.
Under the boil water notice, families, restaurants, schools and care facilities had to treat tap water as unsafe until testing showed the supply was clear again. That typically means boiling water before it is used for consumption or food preparation, and keeping close watch on city updates about when the notice can be removed. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality keeps public boil-water guidance and rules for public water systems, which city officials must follow before restoring normal use.
The disruption hit daily routines across Coryell County’s county seat at the height of a summer weekday, with one break threatening a system that serves the city and nearby areas. Even short outages can ripple quickly through kitchens, classrooms and commercial kitchens, especially when businesses depend on steady water pressure for basic operations.
This was not the first time Gatesville had faced the problem this year. The city issued another boil water notice on June 17 after a separate water main break on Cottonwood Drive. A March 8 notice also covered properties from 2600 to 2909 Belt Loop, showing how repeated line failures have unsettled customers who rely on the same system for everyday use.
Before the notice can be lifted, crews will have to finish repairs, flush the line and collect water-quality samples. Until then, the city’s instructions remain the only safe guide for households and businesses using Gatesville’s water supply.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
