CITY: BREAKTHROUGH TAKES PLACE AS REBUILT VALVE INSTALLED
- Repaired water line valve continues to hold
(March 6, 2025)
MIDLAND, TEXAS -- The City of Midland can announce the water line valve repair in northwest Midland appears to be holding.
The City of Midland worked with A&B Valve, a team from Hy-Flow, among others as repairs continued Thursday morning on a main water line valve coming in from T-Bar Well Field. The installation and repair started around 11:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Here is a breakdown:
Once the parts arrived on Wednesday, the valve was rebuilt (which took hours). City officials wanted to ensure that most Midlanders had water pressure during the evening hours, so they waited to install the valve until 11:30 p.m. when water usage is lower.
City officials then took the bypass down, and the flow was cut to make the repair, which took much longer than expected overnight (as multiple issues came up during the repair process).
Around 9 a.m. Thursday, officials got everything in place and turned the flow back on. Officials have seen the valve hold with the fix and are experiencing improved flow from T-Bar. Typically, as much as 20 million gallons of water per day can flow through that line.
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The City of Midland recognizes that the repair process has taken far longer than expected. The City of Midland profusely apologizes for the inconvenience this has caused for families and the school district, especially with the late notice of delayed starts on Thursday.
The City worked to deliver temporary restroom facilities and hand-washing stations to campuses impacted by the water situation on Thursday.
City officials also recognize the impact the water situation has had on residents and businesses alike, and they completely acknowledge this has been unacceptable.
On Thursday evening, the City held its fifth water distribution event at the Scharbauer Sports Complex, handing out 16 pallets of bottled water for residents in need. During the five water distribution events, more than 60 pallets of bottled water were provided to Midland residents.
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Impacted residents can expect water pressure to return closer to normal levels during the next 24-48 hours as deliveries increase from T-Bar Ranch and from the Colorado River Municipal Water District through the Water Treatment Plant.
The City of Midland still counts on all residents – especially those not affected by decreased water pressure – to conserve as much as possible by not watering outdoors. The City of Midland continues to ask the three greatest users of water – the Parks of Recreation Department, Midland ISD and Midland College – to refrain from watering in the short term.
City residents can expect a full review of actions and a public briefing of what officials learned from that review.
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For a full account from Mayor Lori Blong, Councilman John Burkholder and other city and project leaders, check out the Facebook Live from Thursday morning on the City of Midland, Texas – City Government Facebook page.