Water safe to use in Grand Prairie, schools remain closed Friday

Grand Prairie city officials announced Thursday evening that the tap water is now safe, ending a two-day crisis caused by a firefighting foam contaminating the water supply. The contamination, which occurred on Tuesday, affected around 60,000 residents north of Interstate 20, who were advised to avoid using tap water for drinking, cooking, or hygiene.

During a Thursday night press conference, officials confirmed that boiling water is unnecessary, provided the city's water pressure remains stable. Residents were instructed to flush their home water systems by running hot water for 15 minutes and cold water for five minutes. If the water remained cloudy, they were advised to repeat the process.

For two days, residents coped with the inconvenience by relying on bottled water and other temporary measures. The city has posted further instructions on its website to help residents.

Even though the water is now safe to drink, the schools in Grand Prairie remain closed for the third day on Friday as the district will focus on flushing their water lines.

“Grand Prairie ISD has several steps we must take to ensure each campus has safe water for our students before they return to school,” the district said in a statement.

“In order for our Maintenance and Operations team to perform all the necessary steps needed at our 36 campuses, we will close tomorrow, Friday, September 6, 2024.”

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